Peptide TherapeuticsPeer Reviewed

Computationally Aided Design of Ionizable Cholesteryl Lipids for Lipid Nanoparticles to Modulate Hepatic mRNA Accumulation.

Authors (7)
Yilong TengNational Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Yuxuan GuoNational Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Zhixiang LiuDepartment of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States.
Maoping TangNational Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Unknown
Published
Oct 13, 2025
View Original

Abstract

mRNA therapeutics are emerging as a revolutionary therapeutic modality, providing a versatile platform for the treatment and prevention of a broad spectrum of diseases. Nonviral nanoparticle-based delivery systems, particularly lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), are essential for their successful clinical translation. However, the currently FDA-approved four-component lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations primarily accumulate in the liver due to apolipoprotein E/Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor (ApoE/LDLR)-mediated uptake by hepatic cells following systemic administration, which significantly limits extrahepatic mRNA delivery and restricts its broader therapeutic applications. Herein, we present a computationally assisted design approach to identify and optimize ionizable cholesteryl (iChol) lipids with extrahepatic delivery properties while formulating a three-component LNP system. Using DiffDock-L-assisted design, we rationally integrated two key components of LNPs, cholesterol and ionizable lipid, into a single chemical entity and developed a novel class of ionizable cholesteryl (iChol) lipids that exhibit attenuated interactions with ApoE. These iChol lipids, along with phospholipids and PEGylated lipids, can self-assemble into stable three-component lipid nanoparticles (Tc-LNPs). The Tc-LNPs exhibit decreased ApoE adsorption compared to conventional four-component LNP counterparts. Importantly, the Tc-LNPs show reduced hepatic accumulation via modulating ApoE/LDLR-mediated endocytosis in hepatocytes and improved spleen enrichment compared to commercially available LNPs. Additionally, this approach is applicable to other ionizable lipids, including the commercially available ALC-0315 lipid, paving a new way for accelerating the development of extrahepatic delivery LNPs and potentially expanding the applications of mRNA-based therapeutics.

Article Metrics

Sourcepubmed

Related Research

Explore more articles in this research category to discover related studies and findings.

View more in Peptide Therapeutics