Mitochondria as a targeted delivery platform

Abstract

The current invention focuses on ways to deliver various payloads including nucleic acids molecules (such as oligonucleotides), polypeptides (such as proteins), drugs or a combination thereof. As such, the invention relates to, inter alia, a mitochondrion comprising one or more payload(s) attached to the outer membrane of the mitochondrion, wherein the payload(s) is indirectly or directly electrostatically attached to the outer membrane of the mitochondrion. The invention further involves combining mitochondria comprising one or more payload(s) attached to the outer membrane of the mitochondrion with a protective layer that envelopes/encapsules and/or coats the mitochondrion and payload to provide a further delivery platform. This methodology is particularly effective for increasing the uptake and efficiency of the one or more payload(s) for therapeutic purposes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.