All articles tagged with #lipid nanoparticles
Oregon State University researchers report lipid nanoparticles that bind vitronectin in the bloodstream to home in on lung tumors and deliver follistatin mRNA, reducing tumor burden about 2.5-fold more than conventional LNPs in mice, while also countering cancer cachexia by preserving appetite, weight, and muscle—preclinical results with human testing to come.
Nature News & Views highlights Lei et al.’s method for engineering lipid nanoparticles that specifically deliver therapeutic RNA to pancreatic cell populations in animals, addressing liver-biased distribution and enabling new avenues for treating currently incurable pancreatic diseases.
A Nature study introduces AH-LNP, a pancreatic-targeted lipid nanoparticle whose protein adsorption enlarges it to enable capsule-filtration–driven pancreas accumulation and receptor-mediated uptake, allowing efficient delivery of Cas9 mRNA and sgRNA for genome editing as well as mRNA encoding therapeutic cytokines. The approach yields precise pancreatic gene editing, enhances antitumor responses when combined with vaccines or CAR-T therapy across multiple pancreatic cancer models, and shows safety in several animal models including non-human primates, highlighting a promising platform for precision treatments of pancreatic diseases.
Eli Lilly will acquire Orna Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $2.4 billion in cash, expanding Lilly’s genetic-medicine platform with Orna’s circular-RNA–based in vivo CAR-T technology (ORN-252) designed to treat B cell–driven autoimmune diseases, leveraging lipid nanoparticle delivery for potentially more durable therapeutic protein expression and broader in vivo cell-therapy options.
Eli Lilly will acquire Orna Therapeutics in a deal potentially worth up to $2.4 billion to accelerate in vivo CAR-T therapies using circular RNA and lipid nanoparticle delivery, led by ORN-252 targeting CD19 for B cell–driven autoimmune diseases and offering potentially more durable protein expression than current RNA or ex vivo approaches.
KAIST researchers inject lipid nanoparticles carrying CAR mRNA and immunostimulants directly into tumors to reprogram resident tumor-associated macrophages into anticancer CAR-macrophages, boosting local and potentially systemic anti-tumor immunity and showing strong tumor suppression in animal models.
The article discusses how buffer optimization, specifically using mildly acidic, antioxidant-containing buffers like histidine, can significantly improve the room temperature stability of siRNA-lipid nanoparticles by mitigating lipid oxidation and RNA-lipid adduct formation, thereby extending shelf life and maintaining efficacy.
Australian scientists have made a significant breakthrough in HIV research by using mRNA technology with lipid nanoparticles to force the virus out of hiding in infected cells, potentially paving the way for a cure. The team is now preparing for preclinical testing in animals, with human trials possibly years away, and the approach may have broader applications for other diseases.
Researchers have developed a new mRNA delivery method using specialized lipid nanoparticles to make hidden HIV in white blood cells visible, potentially paving the way for a cure, though further research and trials are needed.
Michael J. Mitchell, an associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, specializes in designing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver mRNA inside human cells for potential applications in medicine, including cancer and other diseases. His lab uses microfluidics to create LNPs and has developed a new LNP that mimics a space shuttle to improve mRNA delivery efficiency. They have also successfully targeted the lungs of mice with LNPs and are working on crossing the blood-brain barrier for potential therapeutic applications.
Bioengineers are on the verge of breaking the blood-brain barrier using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) for treating neurological conditions like seizures and Alzheimer’s. The University of Pennsylvania researchers have successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of their approach in mice and hope to further test it in various animal models. This breakthrough could pave the way for targeted treatments for a variety of neurological disorders, including brain cancer and strokes, and potentially help cross other barriers in the body.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier, allowing them to test the delivery of lipid nanoparticles carrying proteins, antibodies, or mRNA therapies into the central nervous system. This breakthrough could lead to novel approaches for treating conditions like traumatic brain injury, stroke, and Alzheimer's, as well as pregnancy-related and retinal diseases. The study's findings, published in Nano Letters, show promise for overcoming the blood-brain barrier and advancing brain-targeted treatments.
Bioengineers are making strides in breaching the blood-brain barrier by developing a method using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver mRNA, offering new hope for treating conditions like Alzheimer's disease and seizures. This breakthrough could lead to novel approaches for treating traumatic brain injury, stroke, and Alzheimer's, and the platform is currently tailored for testing a range of LNPs with brain-targeted peptides, antibodies, and various lipid compositions.
Israeli startup Mana.bio has raised $19.5 million in seed financing from investors including Andreessen Horowitz Bio + Health, Base4 Capital, NFX, LionBird, and Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. The company aims to address the challenge of delivering genetic medicines to specific cells or organs by developing AI-designed lipid nanoparticles, which can be used to transport mRNA molecules for vaccines or gene therapies.
Researchers have found that enhancing the immunogenicity of lipid-nanoparticle mRNA vaccines can be achieved by adjuvanting both the ionizable lipid and the mRNA. Adjuvants such as lipid nanoparticles have been shown to induce robust T follicular helper cell and humoral responses, leading to increased efficacy of mRNA and protein subunit vaccines. Additionally, the use of heterocyclic lipids in mRNA delivery has been found to activate immune cells through the STING pathway, further enhancing anti-tumor efficacy. The optimization of lipid nanoparticles for mRNA vaccine delivery and the use of adjuvants like ionizable cationic lipid nanoparticles have the potential to improve the immune response and efficacy of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 and other diseases.