Compositions and methods of making polymerizing nucleic acids

A method of making a graft polymer, the method comprising:

• (i) reacting a plurality of oligonucleotide monomers with a polymerization catalyst or initiator, wherein each of said plurality of oligonucleotide monomers comprises a polymerizable monomer covalently bound to an oligonucleotide;
• (ii) terminating said reacting with a chain terminator or transfer agent;
• wherein the graft polymer has the formula FX1:
• R1—[M(O)]n—R2 (FX1)
• wherein,
• n is an integer from 2 to 1000;
• M is the polymerized product of the polymerizable monomer;
• O is the oligonucleotide covalently bound to M;
• R1 and R2 are terminal polymer moieties;
• and
• wherein 100% of the polymerized polymerizable monomers are each individually attached directly to the oligonucleotide or to the oligonucleotide through a covalent linker.

A method of making an amphiphilic block graft copolymer, the method comprising:

• (i) reacting a plurality of oligonucleotide monomers with a polymerization catalyst thereby forming a hydrophilic block portion, wherein each of said plurality of oligonucleotide monomers comprises a polymerizable monomer covalently bound to an oligonucleotide;
• (ii) reacting said hydrophilic block portion with a plurality of hydrophobic monomers and said polymerization catalyst thereby forming said amphiphilic block graft copolymer, wherein each of said plurality of hydrophobic monomers comprises said polymerizable monomer covalently bound to a hydrophobic moiety;
• wherein the amphiphilic block graft copolymer has the formula (FX2):
• R1—[M(O)]n—[M(P)]m—R2 (FX2)
• wherein,
• n is an integer from 2 to 1000;
• m is an integer from 2 to 1000;
• M is the polymerized product of the polymerizable monomer;
• O is the oligonucleotide;
• P is the hydrophobic moiety;
• and
• R1 and R2 are terminal polymer moieties.

A method of internalizing a nucleic acid into the interior of a cell comprising:

• contacting a cell with a graft polymer or a graft copolymer;
• wherein the graft polymer or the graft copolymer has the formula FX1 or FX2:
• R1—[M(O)]n—R2 FX1;
• R1—[M(O)]n—[M(P)]m—R2 FX2;
• wherein
• n is an integer from 2 to 1000;
• m is an integer from 2 to 1000;
• R1 and R2 are terminal polymer moieties;
• Olig is independently an oligonucleotide covalently attached directly to M or to M through a covalent linker;
• HM is independently a hydrophobic moiety covalently attached to M;
• and
• R1 and R2 are independently terminal polymer moieties.