Mesoscopic Structure of Lipid Nanoparticle Formulations for mRNA Drug Delivery : Comirnaty and Drug-Free Dispersions

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) produced by antisolvent precipitation (ASP) are used in formulations for mRNA drug delivery. The mesoscopic structure of such complex multicomponent and polydisperse nanoparticulate systems is most relevant for their drug delivery properties, medical efficiency, shelf life, and possible side effects. However, the knowledge on the structural details of such formulations is very limited. Essentially no such information is publicly available for pharmaceutical dispersions approved by numerous medicine agencies for the use in humans and loaded with mRNA encoding a mimic of the spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as, e.g., the Comirnaty formulation (BioNTech/Pfizer). Here, we present a simple preparation method to mimic the Comirnaty drug-free LNPs including a comparison of their structural properties with those of Comirnaty. Strong evidence for the liquid state of the LNPs in both systems is found in contrast to the designation of the LNPs as solid lipid nanoparticles by BioNTech. An exceptionally detailed and reliable structural model for the LNPs i.a. revealing their unexpected narrow size distribution will be presented based on a combined small-angle X-ray scattering and photon correlation spectroscopy (SAXS/PCS) evaluation method. The results from this experimental approach are supported by light microscopy, 1H NMR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoTEM), and simultaneous SAXS/SANS studies. The presented results do not provide direct insights on particle formation or dispersion stability but should contribute significantly to better understanding the LNP drug delivery process, enhancing their medical benefit, and reducing side effects.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:18

Enthalten in:

ACS nano - 18(2024), 13 vom: 02. Apr., Seite 9746-9764

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Unruh, Tobias [VerfasserIn]
Götz, Klaus [VerfasserIn]
Vogel, Carola [VerfasserIn]
Fröhlich, Erik [VerfasserIn]
Scheurer, Andreas [VerfasserIn]
Porcar, Lionel [VerfasserIn]
Steiniger, Frank [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

BNT162 Vaccine
BNT162b2 Comirnaty
Dynamic light scattering (DLS
Journal Article
Lipid Nanoparticles
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)
Lipids
Liposomes
MRNA drug delivery
PCS)
Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR)
RNA, Messenger
RNA, Small Interfering
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 03.04.2024

Date Revised 03.04.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1021/acsnano.4c02610

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM370038126