Method of Facilitating Intracellular Uptake or Transcellular Transport of Cargo Using Nanocarriers Containing Optimal Surface Densities of Integrin-Specific Ligands

A method of facilitating intracellular uptake or transcellular transport of cargo comprising:

• contacting target cells with a composition comprising an effective amount of cargo incorporated in a nanocarrier having a surface, wherein the nanocarrier surface comprises integrin-specific ligands having a surface density of at least 40,000 integrin-specific ligands per μm2, and
• maintaining contact between the composition and the target cells for a period of time sufficient to permit intracellular uptake or transcellular transport of the cargo.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective amount of cargo incorporated in a nanocarrier having a surface, wherein the nanocarrier surface comprises integrin-specific ligands having a surface density of approximately 5 to 50,000 integrin-specific ligands per μm2, and a pharmaceutically-acceptable excipient.