Cationic cholesterol-dependent LNP delivery to lung stem cells, the liver, and heart.

Radmand, Afsane; Kim, Hyejin; Beyersdorf, Jared; Dobrowolski, Curtis N; Zenhausern, Ryan; Paunovska, Kalina; Huayamares, Sebastian G; Hua, Xuanwen et al. · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2024

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Adding a cationic helper lipid to a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) can increase lung delivery and decrease liver delivery. However, it remains unclear whether charge-dependent tropism is universal or, alternatively, whether it depends on the component that is charged. Here, we report evidence that cationic cholesterol-dependent tropism can differ from cationic helper lipid-dependent tropism. By testing how 196 LNPs delivered mRNA to 22 cell types, we found that charged cholesterols led to a different lung:liver delivery ratio than charged helper lipids. We also found that combining cationic cholesterol with a cationic helper lipid led to mRNA delivery in the heart as well as several lung cell types, including stem cell-like populations. These data highlight the utility of exploring charge-dependent LNP tropism.

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