CA2381425A1 — Enhancing drug delivery across and into epithelial tissues using oligo arginine moieties

USPTO Abstract

This invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing delivery of drugs and other agents across epithelial tissues, including the skin, gastrointestinal tract, pulmonary epithelium, and the like. The compositions and methods are also useful for delivery across endothelial tissues, includi ng the blood brain barrier. The compositions and methods employ a delivery enhancing transport that has sufficient guanidino or amidino sidechain moieties to enhance delivery of a compound conjugated to the reagent across one or more layers of the tissue, compared to the non-conjugated compound. T he delivery enhancing polymers include, for example, poly-arginine molecules th at are preferably between about 6 and 25 residues in length.