DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention relates to a composition for delivery of a virus vector to an animal cell.
The composition comprises a hydrogel precursor mixture having the virus vector suspended therein.
The hydrogel precursor mixture is formulated such that it stiffens at physiological temperature and at a physiological calcium level to form a hydrogel matrix containing the virus vector therein in a transfectious form.
In one embodiment of the composition described herein, the hydrogel matrix is biodegradable, such as with a collagen hydrogel precursor mixture.
When collagen is used, it is preferably type I collagen, such as bovine type I collagen.
The biodegradable hydrogel matrix can be made using a precursor mixture which further comprises another component selected from the group consisting of a poloxamer and an alginate.
Furthermore, the virus vector can be linked with another component of the hydrogel precursor mixture, such that when the hydrogel matrix is formed, the virus vector is linked with the hydrogel matrix.
Substantially any virus vector can be used in the hydrogel matrix described herein, such as one selected from the group consisting of an adenovirus vector, a lentivirus vector, a retrovirus vector, an adeno-associated virus vector, and a herpesvirus vector.
Preferably, the virus vector is an adenovirus vector.
In one embodiment, the hydrogel precursor mixture further comprises an additional component selected from the group consisting of a polycation, a second virus vector, the protein of a protein-ligand pair, and the ligand of a protein-ligand pair.
The polycation can, for example, be selected from the group consisting of polylysine, polyarginine, polyornithine, polyhistidine, myelin basic protein, a low molecular weight glycopeptide, a cationic amphiphilic alpha-helical oligopeptide having a repeating sequence, a histone, a galactosylated histone, polybrene, spermine, spermidine, prolamine, polyethylenimine, putrescine, cadaverine, and hexamine.
Preferably, the polycation is poly-L-lysine
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Gene Therapy 
