Summary of Recent LNP News
Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology: Developed a machine learning model to predict efficient lipid nanoparticle designs for improved vaccine development.
University of Barcelona (UB): Hosting an international research seminar by Prof. Eliana B. Souto discussing the effectiveness and safety of lipid nanoparticles as drug delivery systems.
Inotiv: Hosted a webinar on testing methods for ensuring safety and preventing genotoxicity in lipid nanoparticle drug delivery systems.
Pharmaceutical Technology: Published an article discussing exosomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and DNA nanostructures as potential alternatives to LNPs for drug delivery.
American researchers (via CMN Weekly): Demonstrated that incorporating nitro-oleic acid into plasmid DNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles mitigates acute inflammation in mice by inhibiting the cGAS–STING pathway.
Beam Therapeutics: Announced positive initial safety data from a phase 1/2 trial of its LNP-delivered gene therapy for Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
Physics of Fluids Journal: Published research demonstrating single-use bags as a viable solution for long-term stability of lipid nanoparticles, utilizing Precigenome's product for LNP preparation.
Detailed Summaries of Recent LNP News
Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology: Machine Learning for Efficient LNP Design
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a machine learning model to predict efficient lipid nanoparticle designs. This advancement can significantly improve vaccine development by enabling customization of LNP formulations for specific therapeutic needs. The model helps identify the most effective LNP compositions, potentially accelerating the development process of new vaccines and other LNP-based therapeutics.
Release Date: March 5, 2025
Website Link: https://inbt.jhu.edu/machine-learning-helps-predict-efficient-lipid-nanoparticle-design/
Authors: Leonardo Cheng and Johnny Moseman Institute
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
University of Barcelona: International Research Seminar on LNP Safety
The University of Barcelona is hosting an international research seminar featuring Prof. Eliana B. Souto discussing the effectiveness and safety of lipid nanoparticles as drug delivery systems. The seminar will explore various parameters that should be considered in preclinical and clinical quality assessment of lipid nanoparticles. Prof. Souto will discuss how the physicochemical properties of LNPs, beyond just their chemical composition, play a significant role in their behavior both in vitro and in vivo.
Release Date: March 6, 2025
Website Link: https://www.ub.edu/in2ub/march-6th-2025-at-12-00h-how-effective-and-safe-are-lipid-nanoparticles-as-drug-delivery-systems/
Author: Prof. Eliana B. Souto
Institution: University College Dublin, Ireland
Inotiv: Webinar on LNP Genotoxicity Testing
Inotiv is hosting a webinar focused on testing the genotoxicity of LNP-based therapeutics. Led by Dr. Shambhu Roy, the webinar will discuss methods to ensure the safety of these innovative drug delivery systems, which is crucial for the development of effective LNP-based therapies. The session will cover how LNP components can interact with the human body, potentially causing genotoxicity—damage to genetic material that may lead to mutations or cancer—and how to test for these effects.
Release Date: March 6, 2025
Author: Dr. Shambhu Roy
Pharmaceutical Technology: Article on Alternatives to LNPs
Pharmaceutical Technology published an article discussing organic nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems as alternatives to lipid nanoparticles. The article explores the potential advantages of exosomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and DNA nanostructures for drug delivery applications in various therapeutic areas. While LNPs have become the go-to solution for nucleic acid delivery, they face limitations including poor stability, limited loading capacity, manufacturing challenges, and a small number of approved lipid excipients, driving interest in alternative delivery systems.
Release Date: March 9, 2025
Website Link: https://www.pharmtech.com/view/organic-nanoparticle-based-drug-delivery-systems-as-alternatives-to-lipid-nanoparticles
American Researchers: NOA-Enhanced LNPs for Reduced Inflammation
Researchers have demonstrated that incorporating nitro-oleic acid (NOA) into plasmid DNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles (pDNA-LNPs) effectively mitigates acute inflammation in mice by inhibiting the cGAS–STING pathway. This modification enabled prolonged transgene expression, achieving levels 11.5 times greater than traditional mRNA-LNPs at day 32. Further optimization increased in vitro expression 50-fold. These NOA-pDNA-LNPs offer a safer, more efficient platform for long-term, promoter-controlled gene expression in genetic medicine applications.
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Website Link: https://crisprmedicinenews.com/news/cmn-weekly-7-march-2025-your-weekly-crispr-medicine-news/
Beam Therapeutics: Positive Data from LNP-Delivered Gene Therapy Trial
Beam Therapeutics announced encouraging initial data from a phase 1/2 trial of its gene therapy BEAM-302 for Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). The lipid nanoparticle-delivered therapy is designed to use CRISPR to precisely correct the single errant letter of DNA that causes the majority of AATD cases. Among the nine patients dosed so far across three dosage cohorts (15mg, 30mg, and 60mg), no serious adverse events were reported. The therapy demonstrated dose-dependent increases in functional Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein, with the highest dose achieving a 2.8-fold increase at day 28 and AAT levels above the accepted therapeutic threshold. The company plans to enroll a fourth dose cohort and present additional data at a medical conference in the second half of 2025.
Release Date: March 10, 2025
Location: Boston, USA
Physics of Fluids Journal: Single-use Bags for Long-term Stability of LNPs
A new study published in Physics of Fluids has investigated the use of single-use bags as a viable solution for ensuring the long-term stability of lipid nanoparticles. The research demonstrates significant advancements in storage and handling protocols for LNP-based therapeutics, which are increasingly important in the delivery of mRNA vaccines and other genetic medicines. Notably, the researchers utilized Precigenome's specialized products for the preparation of the lipid nanoparticles, highlighting the critical role that purpose-designed manufacturing tools play in ensuring consistent and high-quality LNP formulations. This technological approach could have substantial implications for scaling up production and distribution of LNP-based therapeutics, potentially addressing some of the cold-chain and stability challenges that have limited the global reach of certain advanced therapies.
Release Date: March 10, 2025
Website Link: https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/article/37/3/037120/3338832
Comments