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Particles are provided which are suitable for delivery from a particle-mediated delivery device. The particles are obtained by precipitating a nucleic acid on inert metal carrier particles in the presence of a nucleic acid condensing agent and a metal ion chelating agent. Also described are processe

Particles are provided which are suitable for delivery from a particle-mediated delivery device. The particles are obtained by precipitating a nucleic acid on inert metal carrier particles in the presence of a nucleic acid condensing agent and a metal ion chelating agent. Also described are processes for preparing the particles, and therapeutic methods using the particles including methods of nucleic acid immunization and gene therapy.

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1. Particles suitable for delivery from a particle-mediated delivery device, wherein the particles are obtained by a method comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a nucleic acid on inert metal carrier particles in the presence of (i) a homopolymer of arginine of the formula of (Arg)x, wherein x is

1. Particles suitable for delivery from a particle-mediated delivery device, wherein the particles are obtained by a method comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a nucleic acid on inert metal carrier particles in the presence of (i) a homopolymer of arginine of the formula of (Arg)x, wherein x is from 2 to 10, or a physiologically acceptable thereof;(ii) ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA); and(iii) drying the particles to a powder. 2. The particles of claim 1, wherein the inert metal carrier particles are selected from the group consisting of gold, tungsten, platinum and iridium particles. 3. The particles of claim 2, wherein the inert metal carrier particles are gold particles having a diameter from about 1 to 3 μm. 4. The particles of claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid encodes an antigen. 5. The particles of claim 4, wherein the antigen is selected from the group consisting of viral antigens, bacterial antigens and fungal antigens. 6. The particles of claim 5, wherein the antigen is a human papilloma virus antigen. 7. The particles of claim 5, wherein the antigen is a HIV antigen. 8. The particles of claim 5, wherein the antigen is a HSV2 or HSV1 antigen. 9. The particles of claim 5, wherein the antigen is a hepatitis B virus antigen. 10. The particles of claim 5, wherein the antigen is an influenza virus antigen. 11. The particles of claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid encodes a therapeutic polypeptide. 12. The particles of claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid is DNA. 13. The particles of claim 1, wherein the homopolymer of arginine is (Arg)4 or (Arg)6. 14. The particles of claim 13, wherein the homopolymer of arginine is (Arg)4. 15. The particles of claim 1, wherein the sugar is one or more disaccharide and/or trisaccharide sugars. 16. The particles of claim 15, wherein the one or more sugars is selected from the group consisting of trehalose, sucrose, lactose and raffinose. 17. The particles of claim 16, wherein the one or more sugars is a blend of sucrose and raffinose. 18. The particles of claim 1, wherein the depositing step is carried out in the presence of one or more salts. 19. The particles of claim 18, wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of potassium acetate, calcium chloride, lithium chloride, sodium acetate, magnesium nitrate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate and magnesium chloride. 20. The particles of claim 1, wherein the resultant particles are contacted with an antioxidant. 21. The particles of claim 20, wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E. 22. The particles of claim 1, wherein the sugar comprises sucrose. 23. A dosage receptacle for a particle-mediated delivery device, the receptacle containing the particles of claim 1. 24. A particle mediated delivery device loaded with the particles of claim 1. 25. The particle mediated delivery device of claim 24 which is a needleless syringe. 26. The particles of claim of claim 1, wherein the sugar comprises trehalose. 27. A process for preparing the particles of claim 1, comprising: (i) depositing a nucleic acid on inert metal carrier particles in the presence of (a) a homopolymer of arginine of the formula of (Arg)x, wherein x is from 2 to 10, or a physiologically acceptable thereof;(b) ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA); and(c) drying the particles to a powder. 28. The process of claim 27, wherein the homopolymer of arginine is added in step (i) to a mixture comprising the inert metal carrier particles and the nucleic acid. 29. The process of claim 27, wherein the inert metal carrier particles are selected from the group consisting of gold, tungsten, platinum and iridium particles. 30. The process of claim 29, wherein the inert metal carrier particles are gold particles having a diameter from about 1 to 3 μm. 31. The process of claim 27, wherein the nucleic acid encodes an antigen. 32. The process according to claim 31, wherein the antigen is selected from the group consisting of viral antigens, bacterial antigens and fungal antigens. 33. The process according to claim 32, wherein the antigen is an influenza virus antigen. 34. The process of claim 27, wherein the nucleic acid encodes a therapeutic polypeptide. 35. The process of claim 27, wherein the nucleic acid is DNA. 36. The process according to claim 27, wherein the homopolymer of arginine is (Arg)4 or (Arg)6. 37. The process according to claim 36, wherein the homopolymer of arginine is (Arg)4. 38. The process of claim 27, wherein the sugar is one or more disaccharide and/or trisaccharide sugars. 39. The process according to claim 38, wherein the one or more sugars is selected from the group consisting of trehalose, sucrose, lactose and raffinose. 40. The process according to claim 39, wherein the one or more sugars is a blend of sucrose and raffinose. 41. The process according to claim 39, wherein the one or more sugars is trehalose. 42. The process of claim 27, wherein step (i) is further carried out in the presence of one or more salts. 43. The process according to claim 42, wherein the one or more salts is selected from the group consisting of potassium acetate, calcium chloride, lithium chloride, sodium acetate, magnesium nitrate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate and magnesium chloride. 44. The process of claim 27, wherein the resultant particles from step (i) are contacted with an antioxidant. 45. The process according to claim 44, wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E. 46. The process according to claim 27, and the sugar comprises sucrose. 47. The process according to claim 27, wherein the sugar comprises trehalose.