NANOPARTICLES REVIEWS

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have become indispensable tools in the development of RNA vaccines and RNA-based therapeutics such as the mRNA LNP Covid 19 vaccines. These nanocarriers play a pivotal role as non-viral delivery vehicles, protecting fragile RNA molecules as they traverse the body and ensure their efficient delivery into target cells and organs.  By enabling…

Recent advances in biotechnology have revolutionized genome editing methods, particularly through the introduction of CRISPR-Cas9 technology. This system, which enables precise genome modifications, has opened new possibilities in gene therapy, fundamental research, and personalized medicine, revolutionizing medicine such as illustrated by the 2020 Chemistry Nobel Prize. However, one of the major current challenges in the…

DISCOVERBiodistribution of RNA-LNP, a reviewLipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have revolutionized the biotechnology and medicine field by offering a powerful way to encapsulate ribonucleic acids (RNAs). These tiny particles are crucial for delivering synthetic RNAs like mRNA and siRNA into cells, which is key for a wide range of gene and cell therapies, from vaccines and gene…

Endosomal escape of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) is a crucial process in the intracellular delivery of mRNA-based therapies and vaccines. After cellular uptake via endocytosis, LNPs must efficiently release their mRNA payload from endosomes into the cytoplasm to ensure proper translation into therapeutic proteins. This step is vital for the success of LNP-mediated delivery systems, as…

For the past decades, modern medicine shifted more and more towards the use of nanocarriers as drug delivery systems (DDS) to overcome the inherent drawbacks of traditional drug administration. To that end, several drug carriers were developed, ranging from lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), and solid nanoparticles (SLNs), to polymersomes, liposomes, and polymeric nanoparticles. On the latter,…

Nanomedicine represents a transformative approach to diagnostics and therapeutics, leveraging the unique properties of materials at the nanoscale. Its roots extend back to the mid-20th century when the concept of using nanometer-sized particles for medical applications began to materialize. The field has grown significantly over the decades, offering novel solutions in drug delivery, imaging, and…

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as a revolutionary tool in the biotechnology field, particularly for the development of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccines (mRNA-LNP) and RNA-based therapies, as they are key for the encapsulation, protection, and delivery of nucleic acid to the target organ and cell. Unlike viral vector delivery methods, which often rely on modified viruses to…

Thin Film Hydration, the genesis of liposomes and Lipid nanoparticlesThe Thin Film Hydration Method is a cornerstone in the non-viral drug delivery field as it was the first available method offering the ability to fabricate liposomes or other lipid-based nanoparticles such as lipid nanoparticles (LNP) for targeted drug delivery. Popular for its ease of use…

DISCOVERNanoparticle targeting is revolutionizing the gene therapies and vaccine field, offering unprecedented precision in drug delivery by directing cargos to specific cells or organs in the body. This article dives into the intricacies of passive and active nanoparticle targeting strategies, comparing their mechanisms and applications. We explore how these advanced strategies enhance treatment efficacy, opening…

Non-viral gene delivery methods play a pivotal role in unlocking the potential of gene therapy for addressing various genetic and acquired diseases. The ability to modulate gene expression within specific cells or tissues holds tremendous promise. Yet, major challenges remain in finding safe and efficient gene delivery vectors. This article provides a comprehensive overview of…

mRNA LNP is a promising approach to a wide range of novel pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and therapeutic solutions. Its groundbreaking potential became evident to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic with the astonishingly quick development of the mRNA LNP Vaccine. This innovative RNA technology combining Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) holds the unique potential…

The astonishing rapidity of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development surprised the global community. One of the primary drivers behind this extraordinarily quick development is the adoption of an advanced drug delivery system: the ionizable lipid nanoparticle. These lipid nanoparticles have been specifically engineered for RNA delivery, with their effectiveness attributed to the inclusion of ionizable lipids…

In the ever-evolving landscape of modern medicine, researchers are constantly seeking innovative strategies to enhance the efficiency and precision of lipid nanoparticle drug delivery. One of the most promising breakthroughs in this field is the use of lipid-based nanoparticles for drug delivery. These versatile lipidic carriers are transforming the way drugs are administered, offering increased…

With more than 5.5 billion people vaccinated worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic, mRNA vaccines have come up as a highly effective strategy to fight quickly emerging diseases.  This unique capability to provide a quick, safe, and efficient therapy encouraged all the major players in the pharmaceutical industry to explore their use for a wide array…

In the ever-evolving landscape of cancer-therapies, the convergence of cutting-edge nanoparticles technology and health innovations has brought forth a promising paradigm shift. The use of lipid-based nanoparticle, such as albumin or liposomes, for cancer therapies has recently been brought to the spotlight for their innovative way of accessing cancerous tissues. Come along with us on…

How to optimize lipid nanoparticle formulation? DISCOVERIn the field of pharmaceutical advancements, the optimization of lipid nanoparticle formulation (LNP) stands as a critical pursuit for the next generation of RNA vaccines and therapeutics. The success of the BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines can be attributed to two primary factors: the capacity to produce RNA in substantial…

Introduction Amongst the numerous nanoparticle manufacturing methods available, microfluidics synthesis has appeared as the gold standard thanks to its unique ability to synthesize uniform nanoparticle populations, both at very small and very large scales. This solvent-based synthesis process goes beyond the mere microfluidic mixing of solutions but also involves several post-processing steps which are crucial…

DISCOVERIntroduction The development of advanced drug delivery systems, such as lipid nanoparticles (LNP) has revolutionized modern medicine. These sub-micron carriers, composed of a combination of lipids, offer a versatile platform for transporting an array of therapeutic agents: mRNA, siRNA, small drugs… A critical factor in optimizing their performance is the width of these nanoparticles which…

DISCOVERIn the fast-paced biotechnology landscape, LNP characterization, and more generation characterization of lipid-based nanoparticles, such as liposomes and lipid nanoparticles (LNP) as become cornerstone for the efficient development of new therapies. LNP and Liposomes have emerged as versatile and promising tools for the delivery of genetic material and small molecules to target various locations within…

Over the past few years, the RNA delivery field has undergone significant changes with the advent of Lipid nanoparticles or LNP. In this context, the use of lipid nanoparticles for siRNA delivery has become a key game-changer for the whole gene silencing and gene therapy field, opening doors to new treatments for rare diseases. To…

In the realm of cutting-edge medical advancements, the use of lipid nanoparticles for mRNA (messenger RNA) delivery have emerged as a groundbreaking tool for a new generation of therapeutics, as illustrated by the nobel prize awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their work in the field. This revolutionary technology holds the potential to…

Breast cancer is one of the main causes of death in women population. While all genders are affected by this cancer, only 1% of diagnosed patients are men. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the top mortality causes in women and breast cancer represents 24.5% of all cancer diagnosed, resulting in nearly 700 000 deaths in…

Over the last few decades, the significance of lipid-based nanoparticles (LBNs) development has greatly increased in the realm of biomedicine. Among these LBNs, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are part of the most promising ones, due to their unique properties. Their development started to overcome some limitations met with traditional nanocarriers like liposomes, such as physicochemical…

As several kinds of lipid-based nanoparticles (LBNPs) are currently available for delivering small molecules, oligonucleotides, and peptide/protein drugs, this review aims at providing a comparison of the 2 most widely used ones: liposomes vs lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).Although mistaken for LNPs, Liposomes are only close cousins of them, rather than ancestors, and present few differences in…

The microfluidic synthesis of lipid nanoparticles has recently been brought to the spotlight following the success of the mRNA-LNP based COVID-19 vaccine. As a matter of fact, a majority of the final drug formulation characteristics such as delivery efficiency, cell uptake, toxicity and side effects are linked to the composition and physicochemical characteristics of the…

DISCOVERThe recent progress of microfluidics mixing technologies (micromixers) has been key to the recent success of the covid-19 LNP-mRNA-based vaccines.Micromixers permit the very fine control of the mixing speed of 2 liquids phases, which is one of the key factors to determine the final lipid nanoparticles physiochemical parameters, as introduced in our LNP formation mechanism…

Lipid nanoparticle formation mechanisms, also referred to as nanoprecipitation or self-assembly methods, remain relatively not well understood despite their wide usage in nearly all the nanoparticle synthesis methods such as thin film hydration, solvent injection, IJM or microfluidics.  Considering the importance of the physiochemical parameters such as particle size, PDI, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading… of…

Over the past three decades, the development of lipid-based nanoparticles (LBNPs) technologies as a carrier for drug delivery was key to the successful development of numerous cancer treatments (Doxil, 1995) and vaccines, including the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, which allowed unprecedented achievement at a time of urgent medical need. The high versatility, stability, and biocompatible nature…

Numerous methods are available for the synthesis of Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) and more generally for drug-loaded liposomes or polymer-based nanoparticles, such as PLGA nanoparticles. Beyond selecting reagents—such as composition, ratios, and concentrations—the choice of formulation method is crucial as it impacts nearly all the CQAs (Critical Quality Attributes) of the drug product/final physicochemical properties, such…

DISCOVERIntroduction to lipid nanoparticles Resulting of 50 years of research in the nanocarrier delivery field, lipid nanoparticles are close cousins to other lipid-based nanoparticles such as liposome and solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN). Unlike those which are specialized in the encapsulation of hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic small molecules, LNP have the unique capability of encapsulating nucleic acids…