Lipid Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery System

출처 : Nat Rev Bioengineering (2023)

■ Lipid Nanoparticles in the Development of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are an FDA-approved delivery technology used for delivering siRNA to the liver and mRNA vaccines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LNP-based mRNA vaccines played a crucial role in preventing and blocking infections, drawing significant attention to lipid nanoparticle delivery systems.

FDA-approved lipid nanoparticles are generally composed of ionizable lipids, helper lipids, cholesterol, and PEGylated lipids.

Ionizable lipids carry a positive charge in slightly acidic environments, facilitating the release of RNA-based drugs inside cells. Active research is currently being conducted to develop new structures of ionizable lipids.

■ Surface Structure Design of Nanoparticles for Efficient Drug Delivery

In the process of efficiently delivering drugs to target cells and tissues using nanoparticles, biological barriers such as the mucosal surface, epithelial junctions, and cell membranes act as structural obstacles, hindering effective drug delivery. Thus, research into the development of nanocarriers capable of delivering various types of drugs to target cells and tissues has been ongoing.

Designing the surface of nanoparticles to effectively release drugs, taking into consideration the structural characteristics of the target cells, is expected to improve drug delivery efficiency.

Drug delivery technologies that mimic the structural properties of living organisms in nature are gaining attention. For example, nanocarriers with surface structures similar to viral spike particles can enhance drug delivery efficiency to target cells.

Technologies are being developed that induce adhesion to target tissues, cell absorption, and efficient drug release by designing the surface of nanoparticles to exploit the spatial characteristics of tissues and cells.