Engineers Develop Faster, Safer Lipid Nanoparticles for mRNA Therapies
A new iterative design process enhances ionizable lipids, improving mRNA delivery for vaccines and gene editing.
- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have optimized ionizable lipids using a novel 'directed chemical evolution' method, significantly advancing lipid nanoparticle (LNP) design for mRNA delivery.
- The process combines medicinal chemistry's precision with combinatorial chemistry's speed, creating dozens of high-performing biodegradable lipids in just five cycles.
- A3 coupling, a cost-effective and environmentally friendly chemical reaction, was key to producing the optimized lipids with precise structural control.
- Preclinical models demonstrated improved delivery of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and gene-editing therapies for hereditary amyloidosis using the new lipids, surpassing current industry standards.
- This breakthrough could accelerate the development timeline for mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics, reducing it from years to months or weeks.
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