STING-R284S mRNA-LNP

STING-R284S mRNA-LNP is an experimental gene therapy designed to treat immunologically 'cold' and STING-deficient cancers, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). The therapy utilizes proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology from Acuitas Therapeutics—composed of an ionizable cationic lipid, phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and PEG-lipid—to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding a constitutively active mutant of the Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) protein (R284S). While traditional STING agonists require the presence of endogenous STING protein (which is often silenced in advanced tumors), this approach introduces the genetic blueprint to synthesize a permanently active STING variant directly within the tumor. Intratumoral administration triggers robust STING signaling, leading to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, the recruitment of CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells into the tumor microenvironment, and the direct induction of cancer cell death, thereby overcoming common mechanisms of immune evasion.

Other names

STING-encoding mRNA-LNPSTING-R284S mRNA lipid nanoparticleSTING-R-284S mRNA lipid nanoparticleSTING-R 284S mRNA lipid nanoparticlemRNA-LNP encoding constitutively active STING