Lipid nanoparticle-mediated mRNA delivery (LNP-mRNA)

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mediated mRNA delivery is a therapeutic platform rather than a single molecular target. This modality utilizes lipid nanoparticles to encapsulate and protect messenger RNA (mRNA) from degradation, facilitating its delivery into host cells (Hou et al., 2021). The LNPs typically consist of ionizable lipids, which promote endosomal escape, and PEGylated lipids, which enhance stability and circulation time (Cullis & Hope, 2017). Once the mRNA reaches the cytoplasm, it is translated by the host cell's ribosomes into a specific protein, which can function as a vaccine antigen, a replacement enzyme, or a therapeutic antibody (Pardi et al., 2018). This approach was most notably validated by the rapid development and success of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, which target host cells to express the viral spike protein and elicit an immune response (Schoenmaker et al., 2021). Beyond infectious diseases, this delivery system is being actively developed for applications in oncology, where it can deliver tumor-associated antigens, and in rare genetic disorders for protein replacement therapy (Kowalski et al., 2019). Safety considerations for this platform include potential hypersensitivity to PEG, transient systemic inflammation, and the need for precise tissue targeting to avoid off-target effects (Buschmann et al., 2021).

Other names

Host cells via lipid nanoparticle-mediated mRNA deliverymRNA-LNP platformLipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA deliverymRNA-LNP delivery system

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) encapsulate mRNA to protect it from enzymatic degradation and facilitate cellular entry via endocytosis; following endosomal escape, the mRNA is released into the cytoplasm where host ribosomes translate it into the encoded protein (Hou et al., 2021).