Use of liposomes in a carrier comprising a continuous hydrophobic phase for delivery of polynucleotides in vivo

Abstract

The invention provides compositions comprising a carrier comprising a continuous phase of a hydrophobic substance, liposomes, and a polynucleotide, and methods for using such compositions for delivering a polynucleotide to a subject.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . An injectable composition comprising:
 a carrier comprising a continuous phase of oil;   liposomes comprising a saturated or unsaturated phospholipid; and   a polynucleotide encapsulated within said liposomes, said polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide and capable of being expressed in mammalian cells.   
     
     
         28 . The composition according to  claim 27 , wherein the composition is a water-in-oil emulsion. 
     
     
         29 . The composition according to  claim 27 , wherein said carrier is free of water. 
     
     
         30 . The composition according to  claim 27 , wherein said oil comprises a natural oil, a synthetic oil or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The composition according to  claim 27 , wherein said liposomes comprise cholesterol, dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), phosphoglycerol, phosphoethanolamine, phosphoserine, phosphocholine, phosphoinositol, phosphatidylcholine, lecithin, phosphatidylcholine and ascorbyl palmitate, 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP),1-[2-(oleoyloxy)ethyl]-2-oleyl-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)imidazolinium chloride (DOTIM), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The composition according to  claim 27 , further comprising an emulsifier. 
     
     
         33 . The composition according to  claim 32 , wherein said emulsifier comprises mannide oleate, mannide monooleate, lecithin, polysorbate 80, sorbitan laurate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan trioleate, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The composition according to  claim 27 , further comprising an adjuvant. 
     
     
         35 . The composition according to  claim 27 , wherein said polynucleotide is inserted in an expression plasmid or is contained in a bacterial or viral vector. 
     
     
         36 . The composition according to  claim 27 , wherein said polynucleotide is present both encapsulated within said liposomes and exterior to said liposomes. 
     
     
         37 . The composition according to  claim 34 , wherein said adjuvant is present: (a) within said liposomes; (b) exterior to said liposomes; or (c) both within said liposomes and exterior to said liposomes. 
     
     
         38 . The composition according to  claim 27 , wherein said polypeptide is an antigen, an antibody or antibody fragment, an enzyme, a cytokine, a therapeutic protein, a chemokine, a regulatory protein, a structural protein, a chimeric protein, a nuclear protein, a transcription factor, a viral protein, a TLR protein, an interferon regulatory factor, an angiostatic or angiogenic protein, an apoptotic protein, an Fc gamma receptor, a hematopoietic protein, a tumor suppressor, a cytokine receptor, or a chemokine receptor. 
     
     
         39 . A method for delivering a polynucleotide to a subject, comprising administering the composition of  claim 27  to said subject. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein said subject is a human. 
     
     
         41 . A method for making a composition comprising:
 (a) providing a polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide and that is capable of being expressed in mammalian cells;   (b) encapsulating said polynucleotide in liposomes comprising a saturated or unsaturated phospholipid; and   (c) combining said liposomes with a carrier comprising a continuous phase of oil.   
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein said liposomes are dehydrated before they are combined with said carrier. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein said carrier is a water-in-oil emulsion. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein said carrier is free of water. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein said oil comprises a natural oil, a synthetic oil, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein said liposomes comprise cholesterol, dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), phosphoglycerol, phosphoethanolamine, phosphoserine, phosphocholine, phosphoinositol, phosphatidylcholine, lecithin, phosphatidylcholine and ascorbyl palmitate, 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP),1-[2-(oleoyloxy)ethyl]-2-oleyl-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)imidazolinium chloride (DOTIM), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein said carrier comprises an emulsifier. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein said emulsifier comprises mannide oleate, mannide monooleate, lecithin, polysorbate 80, sorbitan laurate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan trioleate, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 41 , further comprising combining an adjuvant with said polynucleotides, said liposomes, or said carrier. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein said polypeptide is an antigen, an antibody or antibody fragment, an enzyme, a cytokine, a therapeutic protein, a chemokine, a regulatory protein, a structural protein, a chimeric protein, a nuclear protein, a transcription factor, a viral protein, a TLR protein, an interferon regulatory factor, an angiostatic or angiogenic protein, an apoptotic protein, an Fc gamma receptor, a hematopoietic protein, a tumor suppressor, a cytokine receptor, or a chemokine receptor. 
     
     
         51 . A composition produced by the method according to  claim 41 . 
     
     
         52 . The composition according to  claim 27 , wherein said oil comprises, a vegetable oil, mineral oil, a nut oil, soybean oil, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein said oil comprises, a vegetable oil, mineral oil, a nut oil, soybean oil, or combinations thereof.