Lipid nanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery: Current perspectives

Unlocking the promise of mRNA therapeutics

The extraordinary success of mRNA vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has renewed interest in mRNA as a means of delivering therapeutic proteins. Early clinical trials of mRNA therapeutics include studies of paracrine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA for heart failure and of CRISPR-Cas9 mRNA for a congenital liver-specific storage disease. However, a series of challenges remains to be addressed before mRNA can be established as a general therapeutic modality with broad relevance to both rare and common diseases. An array of new technologies is being developed to surmount these challenges, including approaches to optimize mRNA cargos, lipid carriers with inherent tissue tropism and in vivo percutaneous delivery systems. The judicious integration of these advances may unlock the promise of biologically targeted mRNA therapeutics, beyond vaccines and other immunostimulatory agents, for the treatment of diverse clinical indications.

Strategies for developing long-lasting therapeutic nucleic acid aptamer targeting circulating protein: The present and the future

Aptamers are short, single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotide sequences that can bind specific targets. The molecular weight of aptamers (<20 kDa) is lower than the renal filtration threshold (30∼50 kDa), resulting in very short half-lives in vivo, which limit their druggability. The development of long-lasting modification approaches for aptamers can help address the druggability bottleneck of aptamers. This review summarized two distinct kinds of long-lasting modification approaches for aptamers, including macromolecular modification and low-molecular-weight modification. Though it is a current approach to extend the half-life of aptamers, the macromolecular modification approach could limit the space for the dosage increases, thus causing potential compliance concerns due to large molecular weight. As for the other modification approach, the low-molecular-weight modification approach, which uses low molecular weight coupling agents (LMWCAs) to modify aptamers, could greatly increase the proportion of aptamer moiety. However, some LMWCAs could bind to other proteins, causing a decrease in the drug amounts in blood circulation. Given these issues, the outlook for the next generation of long-lasting modification approaches was proposed at the end, including improving the administration method to increase dosage for aptamer drugs modified by macromolecule and developing Artificial intelligence (AI)-based strategies for optimization of LMWCAs.

Stability Study of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles Exposed to Various Conditions Based on the Evaluation between Physicochemical Properties and Their Relation with Protein Expression Ability

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are currently in the spotlight as delivery systems for mRNA therapeutics and have been used in the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. mRNA-LNP formulations have been indicated to require strict control, including maintenance at fairly low temperatures during their transport and storage. Since it is a new pharmaceutical modality, there is a lack of information on the systematic investigation of how storage and handling conditions affect the physicochemical properties of mRNA-LNPs and their protein expression ability. In this study, using the mRNA-LNPs with standard composition, we evaluated the effects of temperature, cryoprotectants, vibration, light exposure, and syringe aspiration from the vials on the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles in relation to their in vitro/in vivo protein expression ability. Among these factors, storage at -80 °C without a cryoprotectant caused a decrease in protein expression, which may be attributed to particle aggregation. Exposure to vibration and light also caused similar changes under certain conditions. Exposure to these factors can occur during laboratory and hospital handling. It is essential to have sufficient knowledge of the stability of mRNA-LNPs in terms of their physical properties and protein expression ability at an early stage to ensure reproducible research and development and medical care.

Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Nanoparticle Biodistribution: A Review of Existing Models, Simulation Software, and Data Analysis Tools

Cancer treatment and pharmaceutical development require targeted treatment and less toxic therapeutic intervention to achieve real progress against this disease. In this scenario, nanomedicine emerged as a reliable tool to improve drug pharmacokinetics and to translate to the clinical biologics based on large molecules. However, the ability of our body to recognize foreign objects together with carrier transport heterogeneity derived from the combination of particle physical and chemical properties, payload and surface modification, make the designing of effective carriers very difficult. In this scenario, physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling can help to design the particles and eventually predict their ability to reach the target and treat the tumor. This effort is performed by scientists with specific expertise and skills and familiarity with artificial intelligence tools such as advanced software that are not usually in the “cords” of traditional medical or material researchers. The goal of this review was to highlight the advantages that computational modeling could provide to nanomedicine and bring together scientists with different background by portraying in the most simple way the work of computational developers through the description of the tools that they use to predict nanoparticle transport and tumor targeting in our body.

CRISPR/Cas systems usher in a new era of disease treatment and diagnosis

The discovery and development of the CRISPR/Cas system is a milestone in precise medicine. CRISPR/Cas nucleases, base-editing (BE) and prime-editing (PE) are three genome editing technologies derived from CRISPR/Cas. In recent years, CRISPR-based genome editing technologies have created immense therapeutic potential with safe and efficient viral or non-viral delivery systems. Significant progress has been made in applying genome editing strategies to modify T cells and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) ex vivo and to treat a wide variety of diseases and disorders in vivo. Nevertheless, the clinical translation of this unique technology still faces many challenges, especially targeting, safety and delivery issues, which require further improvement and optimization. In addition, with the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), CRISPR-based molecular diagnosis has attracted extensive attention. Growing from the specific set of molecular biological discoveries to several active clinical trials, CRISPR/Cas systems offer the opportunity to create a cost-effective, portable and point-of-care diagnosis through nucleic acid screening of diseases. In this review, we describe the development, mechanisms and delivery systems of CRISPR-based genome editing and focus on clinical and preclinical studies of therapeutic CRISPR genome editing in disease treatment as well as its application prospects in therapeutics and molecular detection.

Delivery of RNAs to Specific Organs by Lipid Nanoparticles for Gene Therapy

Gene therapy holds great promise in the treatment of genetic diseases. It is now possible to make DNA modifications using the CRISPR system. However, a major problem remains: the delivery of these CRISPR-derived technologies to specific organs. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as a very promising delivery method. However, when delivering LNPs intravenously, most of the cargo is trapped by the liver. Alternatively, injecting them directly into organs, such as the brain, requires more invasive procedures. Therefore, developing more specific LNPs is crucial for their future clinical use. Modifying the composition of the lipids in the LNPs allows more specific deliveries of the LNPs to some organs. In this review, we have identified the most effective compositions and proportions of lipids for LNPs to target specific organs, such as the brain, lungs, muscles, heart, liver, spleen, and bones.

Design Strategies for and Stability of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle COVID-19 Vaccines

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have shown great preventive potential in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The lipid nanoparticle (LNP), as a non-viral vector with good safety and potency factors, is applied to mRNA delivery in the clinic. Among the recently FDA-approved SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, lipid-based nanoparticles have been shown to be well-suited to antigen presentation and enhanced immune stimulation to elicit potent humoral and cellular immune responses. However, a design strategy for optimal mRNA-LNP vaccines has not been fully elaborated. In this review, we comprehensively and systematically discuss the research strategies for mRNA-LNP vaccines against COVID-19, including antigen and lipid carrier selection, vaccine preparation, quality control, and stability. Meanwhile, we also discuss the potential development directions for mRNA-LNP vaccines in the future. We also conduct an in-depth review of those technologies and scientific insights in regard to the mRNA-LNP field.

Novel Implications of Nanoparticle-Enhanced Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy: Z-Effect and Tumor Hypoxia

Radiotherapy and internal radioisotope therapy (brachytherapy) induce tumor cell death through different molecular signaling pathways. However, these therapies in cancer patients are constrained by dose-related adverse effects and local discomfort due to the prolonged exposure to the surrounding tissues. Technological advancements in nanotechnology have resulted in synthesis of high atomic elements such as nanomaterials, which can be used as radiosensitizers due to their photoelectric characteristics. The aim of this review is to elucidate the effects of novel nanomaterials in the field of radiation oncology to ameliorate dose-related toxicity through the application of ideal nanoparticle-based radiosensitizers such as Au (gold), Bi (bismuth), and Lu (Lutetium-177) for enhancing cytotoxic effects of radiotherapy via the high-Z effect. In addition, we discuss the role of nanoparticle-enhanced radiotherapy in alleviating tumor hypoxia through the nanodelivery of genes/drugs and other functional anticancer molecules. The implications of engineered nanoparticles in preclinical and clinical studies still need to be studied in order to explore potential mechanisms for radiosensitization by minimizing tumor hypoxia, operational/logistic complications and by overcoming tumor heterogeneity in radiotherapy/brachytherapy.

Insight into LncRNA- and CircRNA-Mediated CeRNAs: Regulatory Network and Implications in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma—A Narrative Literature Review

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a kind of head-and-neck malignant tumor, and distant metastasis treatment resistance is the leading cause of patient death. In-depth understanding of NPC progression and treatment failure remains to be explored. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that play key regulatory role in shaping tumor cell activities. Recent studies have revealed that lncRNA and circRNA function as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) by regulating the posttranscriptional expression of genes as miRNA baits. The imbalanced ceRNA networks derived from lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction are widely found to contribute to NPC development. Herein, we summarize typical examples of lncRNA/circRNA-associated ceRNAs in recent years, which involved the potential molecular mechanisms in the regulation of proliferation, apoptosis, treatment resistance and metastasis of NPC, and discuss their potential clinical significance in the prognosis and treatment of NPC. Interpreting the involvement of ceRNAs networks will provide new insight into the pathogenesis and treatment strategies of NPC. However, ceRNA regulatory mechanism has some limitations currently. Screening the most effective ceRNA targets and the clinical application of ceRNA still has many challenges.

Microfluidic Manufacture of Lipid-Based Nanomedicines

Nanoparticulate technologies have revolutionized drug delivery allowing for passive and active targeting, altered biodistribution, controlled drug release (temporospatial or triggered), enhanced stability, improved solubilization capacity, and a reduction in dose and adverse effects. However, their manufacture remains immature, and challenges exist on an industrial scale due to high batch-to-batch variability hindering their clinical translation. Lipid-based nanomedicines remain the most widely approved nanomedicines, and their current manufacturing methods remain discontinuous and face several problems such as high batch-to-batch variability affecting the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of the product, laborious multistep processes, need for an expert workforce, and not being easily amenable to industrial scale-up involving typically a complex process control. Several techniques have emerged in recent years for nanomedicine manufacture, but a paradigm shift occurred when microfluidic strategies able to mix fluids in channels with dimensions of tens of micrometers and small volumes of liquid reagents in a highly controlled manner to form nanoparticles with tunable and reproducible structure were employed. In this review, we summarize the recent advancements in the manufacturing of lipid-based nanomedicines using microfluidics with particular emphasis on the parameters that govern the control of CQAs of final nanomedicines. The impact of microfluidic environments on formation dynamics of nanomaterials, and the application of microdevices as platforms for nanomaterial screening are also discussed.

Nanodelivery of cGAS-STING activators for tumor immunotherapy

Activation of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway has great potential to promote antitumor immunity. Development of activators for the cGAS-STING pathway (cGAS-STING activators) has profoundly revolutionized tumor immunotherapy. However, successful clinical application of cGAS-STING activators is contingent on having appropriate systems to achieve safe, effective, and specific delivery. There is an increasing emphasis on the design and application of nano drug delivery systems (NDDS) that can facilitate the delivery potential of cGAS-STING activators. In this review, we discuss barriers for translational development of cGAS-STING activators (DNA damaging drugs and STING agonists) and recent advances of NDDS for these agents in tumor immunotherapy.

Lipid Nanoparticles as Delivery Vehicles for Inhaled Therapeutics

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as a powerful non-viral carrier for drug delivery. With the prevalence of respiratory diseases, particularly highlighted by the current COVID-19 pandemic, investigations into applying LNPs to deliver inhaled therapeutics directly to the lungs are underway. The progress in LNP development as well as the recent pre-clinical studies in three main classes of inhaled encapsulated drugs: small molecules, nucleic acids and proteins/peptides will be discussed. The advantages of the pulmonary drug delivery system such as reducing systemic toxicity and enabling higher local drug concentration in the lungs are evaluated together with the challenges and design considerations for improved formulations. This review provides a perspective on the future prospects of LNP-mediated delivery of inhaled therapeutics for respiratory diseases.

Helper-Polymer Based Five-Element Nanoparticles (FNPs) for Lung-Specific mRNA Delivery with Long-Term Stability after Lyophilization

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) carrying therapeutic mRNAs hold great promise in treating lung-associated diseases like viral infections, tumors, and genetic disorders. However, because of their thermodynamically unstable nature, traditional LNPs carrying mRNAs need to be stored at low temperatures, which hinders their prevalence. Herein, an efficient lung-specific mRNA delivery platform named five-element nanoparticles (FNPs) is developed in which helper-polymer poly(β-amino esters) (PBAEs) and DOTAP are used in combination. The new strategy endows FNPs with high stability by increasing the charge repulsion between nanoparticles and the binding force of the aliphatic chains within the nanoparticles. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) shows that PBAEs with E1 end-caps, higher degrees of polymerization, and longer alkyl side chains exhibit higher hit rates. Lyophilized FNP formulations can be stably stored at 4 °C for at least 6 months. Overall, a novel delivery platform with high efficiency, specificity, and stability was developed for advancing mRNA-based therapies for lung-associated diseases.

Self-assembly of globular proteins with intrinsically disordered protein polyelectrolytes and block copolymers

Intrinsically disordered polypeptides are a versatile class of materials, combining the biocompatibility of peptides with the disordered structure and diverse phase behaviors of synthetic polymers. Synthetic polyelectrolytes are capable of complex phase behavior when mixed with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, facilitating nanoparticle formation and bulk phase separation. However, there has been limited exploration of intrinsically disordered protein polyelectrolytes as potential bio-based replacements for synthetic polyelectrolytes. Here, we produce negatively charged, intrinsically disordered polypeptides, capable of high-yield expression in E. coli and use this intrinsically disordered peptide to produce entirely protein-based polyelectrolyte complexes. The complexes display rich phase behavior, showing sensitivity to charge density, salt concentration, temperature, and charge fraction. We characterize this behavior through a combination of turbidity assays, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The robust expression profile and stimuli-responsive phase behavior of the intrinsically disordered peptides demonstrates their potential as easily producible, biocompatible substitutes for synthetic polyelectrolytes.

Application of lipid-based nanoparticles in cancer immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the clinical management of patients with different cancer types by sensitizing autologous or allogenic immune cells to the tumor microenvironment which eventually leads to tumor cell lysis without rapidly killing normal cells. Although immunotherapy has been widely demonstrated to be superior to chemotherapies, only a few populations of patients with specific cancer types respond to such treatment due to the failure of systemic immune activation. In addition, severe immune-related adverse events are rapidly observed when patients with very few responses are given higher doses of such therapies. Recent advances of lipid-based nanoparticles (NPs) development have made it possible to deliver not only small molecules but also mRNAs to achieve systemic anticancer immunity through cytotoxic immune cell activation, checkpoint blockade, and chimeric antigen receptor cell therapies, etc. This review summarized recent development and applications of LNPs in anticancer immunotherapy. The diversity of lipid-based NPs would encapsulate payloads with different structures and molecular weights to achieve optimal antitumor immunity through multiple mechanisms of action. The discussion about the components of lipid-based NPs and their immunologic payloads in this review hopefully shed more light on the future direction of anticancer immunotherapy.

Immunogenicity, effectiveness, safety and psychological impact of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines

In December 2019, a new single-stranded RNA coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, appeared in China and quickly spread around the world leading to a pandemic. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 generates symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to severe, occasionally requiring hospitalization in intensive care units, and, in more severe cases, leading to death. Scientists and researchers around the world have made a real race against time to develop various vaccines to slow down and stop the spread of the virus. In addition to conventional viral vector vaccines, new generation mRNA vaccines, BNT152b2 (Comirnaty) and mRNA-1273 (Spikevax), have been developed respectively by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. These vaccines act on immune cells to induce an immune response with the production of specific antibodies against Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, and to stimulate the differentiation of T and B memory cells. The objective of this review is to provide a detailed picture of the validity of these new vaccines and the safety of vaccination. Not only was the immunogenic effect of mRNA vaccines evaluated, but also the psychosocial impact they had on the population. The data collected show that this type of vaccine can also be an excellent candidate for future treatment and eradication of possible new pathologies with viral and non-viral etiology.

MicroRNA delivery systems in glioma therapy and perspectives: A systematic review

Gliomas are the deadliest of all primary brain tumors, and they constitute a serious global health problem. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are gene expression regulators associated with glioma pathogenesis. Thus, miRNAs represent potential therapeutic agents for treating gliomas. However, miRNAs have not been established as part of the regular clinical armamentarium. This systemic review evaluates current molecular and pre-clinical studies with the aim of defining the most appealing supramolecular platform for administering therapeutic miRNA to patients with gliomas. An integrated analysis suggested that cationic lipid nanoparticles, functionalized with octa-arginine peptides, represent a potentially specific, practical, non-invasive intervention for treating gliomas. This supramolecular platform allows loading both hydrophilic (miRNA) and hydrophobic (anti-tumor drugs, like temozolomide) molecules. This systemic review is the first to describe miRNA delivery systems targeted to gliomas that integrate several types of molecules as active ingredients. Further experimental validation is warranted to confirm the practical value of miRNA delivery systems.

Lipid-protein interactions regulating the canonical and the non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome

The inflammatory response is a complex regulated effector mechanism of the innate immune system that is initiated after tissue injury or infection. The NLRP3 inflammasome is an important initiator of inflammation by regulating the activation of caspase-1, the maturation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the induction of pyroptotic cell death. Numerous studies demonstrate that the NLRP3 inflammasome could be modulated by lipids, existing a relation between lipids and the activation of different inflammatory processes. In this review we will summarize how the mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome activation is regulated by different lipids and how these lipids control specific cellular localization of NLRP3 during activation. Although being a cytosolic protein, NLRP3 interacts with lipids accessible in neighbor membranes. Also, the modulation of NLRP3 by endogenous lipids has been found causative of different metabolic diseases and bacterial-pathogenic lipids lead to NLRP3 activation during infection. The understanding of the modulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by lipids has resulted not only in a better knowledge about the mechanism of NLRP3 activation and its implication in disease, but also opens a new avenue for the development of novel therapeutics and vaccines, as NLRP3 could be modulated by synthetic lipids used as adjuvants.

Massively parallel pooled screening reveals genomic determinants of nanoparticle delivery

To accelerate the translation of cancer nanomedicine, we used an integrated genomic approach to improve our understanding of the cellular processes that govern nanoparticle trafficking. We developed a massively parallel screen that leverages barcoded, pooled cancer cell lines annotated with multiomic data to investigate cell association patterns across a nanoparticle library spanning a range of formulations with clinical potential. We identified both materials properties and cell-intrinsic features that mediate nanoparticle-cell association. Using machine learning algorithms, we constructed genomic nanoparticle trafficking networks and identified nanoparticle-specific biomarkers. We validated one such biomarker: gene expression of SLC46A3, which inversely predicts lipid-based nanoparticle uptake in vitro and in vivo. Our work establishes the power of integrated screens for nanoparticle delivery and enables the identification and utilization of biomarkers to rationally design nanoformulations.

Nanoparticles in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular aging and related diseases

Aging-induced alternations of vasculature structures, phenotypes, and functions are key in the occurrence and development of vascular aging-related diseases. Multiple molecular and cellular events, such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, cellular senescence, and epigenetic alterations are highly associated with vascular aging physiopathology. Advances in nanoparticles and nanotechnology, which can realize sensitive diagnostic modalities, efficient medical treatment, and better prognosis as well as less adverse effects on non-target tissues, provide an amazing window in the field of vascular aging and related diseases. Throughout this review, we presented current knowledge on classification of nanoparticles and the relationship between vascular aging and related diseases. Importantly, we comprehensively summarized the potential of nanoparticles-based diagnostic and therapeutic techniques in vascular aging and related diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, as well as chronic kidney diseases, and discussed the advantages and limitations of their clinical applications.

An imidazole modified lipid confers enhanced mRNA-LNP stability and strong immunization properties in mice and non-human primates

The mRNA vaccine technology has promising applications to fight infectious diseases as demonstrated by the licensing of two mRNA-based vaccines, Comirnaty® (Pfizer/BioNtech) and Spikevax® (Moderna), in the context of the Covid-19 crisis. Safe and effective delivery systems are essential to the performance of these vaccines and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) able to entrap, protect and deliver the mRNA in vivo are considered by many as the current "best in class". Nevertheless, current mRNA/LNP vaccine technology has still some limitations, one of them being thermostability, as evidenced by the ultracold distribution chain required for the licensed vaccines. We found that the thermostability of mRNA/LNP, could be improved by a novel imidazole modified lipid, DOG-IM4, in combination with standard helper lipids. DOG-IM4 comprises an ionizable head group consisting of imidazole, a dioleoyl lipid tail and a short flexible polyoxyethylene spacer between the head and tail. Here we describe the synthesis of DOG-IM4 and show that DOG-IM4 LNPs confer strong immunization properties to influenza HA mRNA in mice and macaques and a remarkable stability to the encapsulated mRNA when stored liquid in phosphate buffered saline at 4 °C. We speculate the increased stability to result from some specific attributes of the lipid's imidazole head group.

Sustained delivery approaches to improving adaptive immune responses

The immune system is one of the most important, complex biological networks regulating and protecting human health. Its precise modulation can prevent deadly infections and fight cancer. Accordingly, prophylactic vaccines and cancer immunotherapies are some of the most powerful technologies to protect against potential dangers through training of the immune system. Upon immunization, activation and maturation of B and T cells of the adaptive immune system are necessary for development of proper humoral and cellular protection. Yet, the exquisite organization of the immune system requires spatiotemporal control over the exposure of immunomodulatory signals. For example, while the human immune system has evolved to develop immunity to natural pathogenic infections that often last for weeks, current prophylactic vaccination technologies only expose the immune system to immunomodulatory signals for hours to days. It has become clear that leveraging sustained release technologies to prolong immunogen and adjuvant exposure can increase the potency, durability, and quality of adaptive immune responses. Over the past several years, tremendous breakthroughs have been made in the design of novel biomaterials such as nanoparticles, microparticles, hydrogels, and microneedles that can precisely control and the presentation of immunomodulatory signals to the immune system. In this review, we discuss relevant sustained release strategies and their corresponding benefits to cellular and humoral responses.

Arginine-based cationic liposomes accelerate T cell activation and differentiation in vitro

Cationic liposomes are versatile lipid nanocarriers to improve the pharmacological properties of drug payloads. Recent advantages include the application of their intrinsic immunostimulatory effects to enhance immune activation. Herein, we report for the first time the structural effect of cationic lipids in promoting T cell activation and differentiation in vitro. Two types of cationic liposomes R3C14 and R5C14 were prepared from single type of lipids Arg-C3-Clu2C14 or Arg-C5-Clu2C14, which bear arginine head group and ditetradecyl tails but vary in the carbon number of the spacer in between. Murine CD8 or CD4 T cells were pretreated with 50 μM of each type of liposomes for 2 h, followed by stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies for 24 h. In comparison to liposome-untreated T cells, R5C14-pretreatment induced a robust T cell activation (IL-2, CD25⁺) and differentiation into effector cells (CD44^high, CD62L^low), whereas R3C14 did not show comparable effect. Furthermore, a weak activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) was detected in Jurkat-Lucia NFAT cells (InvivoGen), suggesting a potential signaling pathway for the liposomal effect. Although R5C14 liposomes did not activate T cells without subsequent CD3/CD28 stimulation, this study implied a recessive effect of some cationic adjuvant in priming T cells to enhance their responsiveness to antigens.

Recent advances in mRNA-LNP therapeutics: immunological and pharmacological aspects

In the last decade, the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics by lipid nanoparticles (LNP) leads to facilitate clinical trial recruitment, which improves the efficacy of treatment modality to a large extent. Although mRNA-LNP vaccine platforms for the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated high efficiency, safety and adverse effects challenges due to the uncontrolled immune responses and inappropriate pharmacological interventions could limit this tremendous efficacy. The current study reveals the interplay of immune responses with LNP compositions and characterization and clarifies the interaction of mRNA-LNP therapeutics with dendritic, macrophages, neutrophile cells, and complement. Then, pharmacological profiles for mRNA-LNP delivery, including pharmacokinetics and cellular trafficking, were discussed in detail in cancer types and infectious diseases. This review study opens a new and vital landscape to improve multidisciplinary therapeutics on mRNA-LNP through modulation of immunopharmacological responses in clinical trials.

Optimal self-assembly of lipid nanoparticles (LNP) in a ring micromixer

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for RNA and DNA delivery have attracted considerable attention for their ability to treat a broad range of diseases and to vectorize mRNA for COVID vaccines. LNPs are produced by mixing biomolecules and lipids, which self-assemble to form the desired structure. In this domain, microfluidics shows clear advantages: high mixing quality, low-stress conditions, and fast preparation. Studies of LNPs produced in micromixers have revealed, in certain ranges of flow rates, a degradation in performance in terms of size, monodispersity and encapsulation efficiency. In this study, we focus on the ring micromixer, which is well adapted to high throughput. We reveal three regimes, side-by-side, transitional and highly mixed, that control the mixing performance of the device. Furthermore, using cryo-TEM and biochemical analysis, we show that the mixing performances are strongly correlated to the characteristics of the LNPs we produce. We emphasize the importance of the flow-rate ratio and propose a physical criterion based on the onset of temporal instabilities for producing LNPs with optimal characteristics in terms of geometry, monodispersity and encapsulation yield. These criteria are generally applicable.

DoE-derived continuous and robust process for manufacturing of pharmaceutical-grade wide-range LNPs for RNA-vaccine/drug delivery

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology has become extremely demanding for delivering RNA-products and other drugs. However, there is no platform to manufacture pharmaceutical-grade LNPs with desired particle size from a wide range in continuous mode. We have developed a unique platform to obtain any specific size-range of LNPs from 60 to 180 nm satisfying pharmaceutical regulatory requirements for polydispersity index, sterility, dose uniformity and bio-functionality. We applied design of experiment (DoE) methodology and identified the critical process parameters to establish the process for global application. Cross-point validation within the response map of DoE confirmed that the platform is robust to produce specific size (± 10 nm) of LNPs within the design-range. The technology is successfully transformed to production scale and validated. Products from R&D, pilot and production batches for a candidate SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-vaccine generated equivalent biological responses. The data collectively established the robustness and bio-uniformity of doses for global RNA-vaccine/drug formulation.

Lipid-Based Nanocarrier Systems for Drug Delivery: Advances and Applications

Lipid-based nanocarriers have been extensively investigated for drug delivery due to their advantages including biodegradability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity, and nonimmunogenicity. However, the shortcomings of traditional lipid-based nanocarriers such as insufficient targeting, capture by the reticuloendothelial system, and fast elimination limit the efficiency of drug delivery and therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, a series of multifunctional lipid-based nanocarriers have been developed to enhance the accumulation of drugs in the lesion site, aiming for improved diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. In this review, we summarized the advances and applications of lipid-based nanocarriers from traditional to novel functional lipid preparations, including liposomes, stimuli-responsive lipid-based nanocarriers, ionizable lipid nanoparticles, lipid hybrid nanocarriers, as well as biomembrane-camouflaged nanoparticles, and further discussed the challenges and prospects of this system. This exploration may give a complete idea viewing the lipid-based nanocarriers as a promising choice for drug delivery system, and fuel the advancement of pharmaceutical products by materials innovation and nanotechnology.

Blocking phospholamban with VHH intrabodies enhances contractility and relaxation in heart failure

The dysregulated physical interaction between two intracellular membrane proteins, the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase and its reversible inhibitor phospholamban, induces heart failure by inhibiting calcium cycling. While phospholamban is a bona-fide therapeutic target, approaches to selectively inhibit this protein remain elusive. Here, we report the in vivo application of intracellular acting antibodies (intrabodies), derived from the variable domain of camelid heavy-chain antibodies, to modulate the function of phospholamban. Using a synthetic VHH phage-display library, we identify intrabodies with high affinity and specificity for different conformational states of phospholamban. Rapid phenotypic screening, via modified mRNA transfection of primary cells and tissue, efficiently identifies the intrabody with most desirable features. Adeno-associated virus mediated delivery of this intrabody results in improvement of cardiac performance in a murine heart failure model. Our strategy for generating intrabodies to investigate cardiac disease combined with modified mRNA and adeno-associated virus screening could reveal unique future therapeutic opportunities.

Here the authors use modified RNA and VHH libraries to generate intrabodies that target dysregulated interactions between two calcium handling proteins in failing cardiomyocytes. Heart specific expression of the intrabodies in a murine heart failure model results in improved cardiac function.

Nano-Codelivery of Temozolomide and siPD-L1 to Reprogram the Drug-Resistant and Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in Orthotopic Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an invasive cancer with high mortality in central nervous system. Resistance to temozolomide (TMZ) and immunosuppressive microenvironment lead to low outcome of the standardized treatment for GBM. In this study, a 2-deoxy-d-glucose modified lipid polymer nanoparticle loaded with TMZ and siPD-L1 (TMZ/siPD-L1@GLPN/dsb) was prepared to reprogram the TMZ-resistant and immunosuppressive microenvironment in orthotopic GBM. TMZ/siPD-L1@GLPN/dsb simultaneously delivered a large amount of TMZ and siPD-L1 to the deep area of the orthotopic TMZ-resistant GBM tissue. By inhibiting PD-L1 protein expression, TMZ/siPD-L1@GLPN/dsb markedly augmented the percentage of CD3⁺CD8⁺IFN-γ⁺ cells (T_eff cells) and reduced the percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ cells (T_reg cells) in orthotopic TMZ-resistant GBM tissue, which enhanced T-cell mediated cytotoxicity on orthotopic TMZ-resistant GBM. Moreover, TMZ/siPD-L1@GLPN/dsb obviously augmented the sensitivity of orthotopic TMZ-resistant GBM to TMZ through decreasing the protein expression of O⁶-methyl-guanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) in TMZ-resistant GBM cells. Thus, TMZ/siPD-L1@GLPN/dsb markedly restrained the growth of orthotopic TMZ-resistant GBM and extended the survival time of orthotopic GBM rats through reversing a TMZ-resistant and immunosuppressive microenvironment. TMZ/siPD-L1@GLPN/dsb shows potential application to treat orthotopic TMZ-resistant GBM.

Pre-clinical non-viral vectors exploited for in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing: an overview

Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats or CRISPR/Cas9 has emerged as a potent and versatile tool for efficient genome editing. This technology has been exploited for several applications including disease modelling, cell therapy, diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases including cancer. The in vivo application of CRISPR/Cas9 is hindered by poor stability, pharmacokinetic profile, and the limited ability of the CRISPR payloads to cross biological barriers. Although viral vectors have been implemented as delivery tools for efficient in vivo gene editing, their application is associated with high immunogenicity and toxicity, limiting their clinical translation. Hence, there is a need to explore new delivery methods that can guarantee safe and efficient delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 components to target cells. In this review, we first provide a brief history and principles of nuclease-mediated gene editing, we then focus on the different CRISPR/Cas9 formats outlining their potentials and limitations. Finally, we discuss the alternative non-viral delivery strategies currently adopted for in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.

Recent advances in delivering RNA-based therapeutics to mitochondria

INTRODUCTION

After the emergence of lipid nanoparticles (LNP) containing therapeutic mRNA as vaccines for use against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the clinical usefulness of nucleic acid-encapsulated LNPs is now a fact. In addition to the nucleus and cytoplasm, mitochondria, which have their own genome, are a site where nucleic acids function in the cell. Gene therapies targeting mitochondria are expected to pave the way for the next generation of therapies.

AREAS COVERED

Methods for delivering nucleic acids to mitochondria are needed in order to realize such innovative therapies. However, only a few reports on delivery systems targeting mitochondria have appeared. In this review, we summarize the current state of research on RNA-based therapeutics targeted to mitochondria, with emphasis on mitochondrial RNA delivery therapies and on therapies that involve the use of mitochondrial genome editing devices.

EXPERT OPINION

We hope that this review article will focus our attention to this area of research, stimulate more interest in this field of research, and lead to the development of mitochondria-targeted nucleic acid medicine. It has the potential to become a major weapon against urgent and unknown diseases, including SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Emerging vaccine nanotechnology: From defense against infection to sniping cancer

Looking retrospectively at the development of humanity, vaccination is an unprecedented medical landmark that saves lives by harnessing the human immune system. During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, vaccination is still the most effective defense modality. The successful clinical application of the lipid nanoparticle-based Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines highlights promising future of nanotechnology in vaccine development. Compared with conventional vaccines, nanovaccines are supposed to have advantages in lymph node accumulation, antigen assembly, and antigen presentation; they also have, unique pathogen biomimicry properties because of well-organized combination of multiple immune factors. Beyond infectious diseases, vaccine nanotechnology also exhibits considerable potential for cancer treatment. The ultimate goal of cancer vaccines is to fully mobilize the potency of the immune system as a living therapeutic to recognize tumor antigens and eliminate tumor cells, and nanotechnologies have the requisite properties to realize this goal. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in vaccine nanotechnology from infectious disease prevention to cancer immunotherapy and highlight the different types of materials, mechanisms, administration methods, as well as future perspectives.

Regulatory guidelines and preclinical tools to study the biodistribution of RNA therapeutics

The success of the messenger RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech marks the beginning of a new chapter in modern medicine. However, the rapid rise of mRNA therapeutics has resulted in a regulatory framework that is somewhat lagging. The current guidelines either do not apply, do not mention RNA therapeutics, or do not have widely accepted definitions. This review describes the guidelines for preclinical biodistribution studies of mRNA/siRNA therapeutics and highlights the relevant differences for mRNA vaccines. We also discuss the role of in vivo RNA imaging techniques and other assays to fulfill and/or complement the regulatory requirements. Specifically, quantitative whole-body autoradiography, microautoradiography, mass spectrometry-based assays, hybridization techniques (FISH, bDNA), PCR-based methods, in vivo fluorescence imaging, and in vivo bioluminescence imaging, are discussed. We conclude that this new and rapidly evolving class of medicines demands a multi-layered approach to fully understand its biodistribution and in vivo characteristics.

mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 and diverse diseases

Since its outbreak in late 2019, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to every continent on the planet. The global pandemic has affected human health and socioeconomic status around the world. At first, the global response to the pandemic was to isolate afflicted individuals to prevent the virus from spreading, while vaccine development was ongoing. The genome sequence was first presented in early January 2020, and the phase I clinical trial of the vaccine started in March 2020 in the United States using novel lipid-based nanoparticle (LNP), encapsulated with mRNA termed as mRNA-1273. Till now, various mRNA-based vaccines are in development, while one mRNA-based vaccine got market approval from US-FDA for the prevention of COVID-19. Previously, mRNA-based vaccines were thought to be difficult to develop, but the current development is a significant accomplishment. However, widespread production and global availability of mRNA-based vaccinations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic remains a major challenge, especially when the mutations continually occur on the virus (e.g., the recent outbreaks of Omicron variant). This review elaborately discusses the COVID-19 pandemic, the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and the progress of mRNA-based vaccines. Moreover, the review also highlighted a detailed description of mRNA delivery technologies and the application potential in controlling other life-threatening diseases. Therefore, it provides a comprehensive view and multidisciplinary insights into mRNA therapy for broader audiences.

In vivo delivery of plasmid DNA by lipid nanoparticles: the influence of ionizable cationic lipids on organ-selective gene expression

Ionizable cationic lipids play a critical role in developing new gene therapies for various biomedical applications, including COVID-19 vaccines. However, it remains unclear whether the formulation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) using DLin-MC3-DMA, an optimized ionizable lipid clinically used for small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy, also facilitates high liver-selective transfection of other gene therapies such as plasmid DNA (pDNA). Here we report the first investigation into pDNA transfection efficiency in different mouse organs after intramuscular and intravenous administration of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) where DLin-MC3-DMA, DLin-KC2-DMA or DODAP are used as the ionizable cationic lipid component of the LNP. We discovered that these three benchmark lipids previously developed for siRNA delivery followed an unexpected characteristic rank order in gene expression efficiency when utilized for pDNA. In particular, DLin-KC2-DMA facilitated higher in vivo pDNA transfection than DLin-MC3-DMA and DODAP, possibly due to its head group pK_a and lipid tail structure. Interestingly, LNPs formulated with either DLin-KC2-DMA or DLin-MC3-DMA exhibited significantly higher in vivo protein production in the spleen than in the liver. This work sheds light on the importance of the choice of ionizable cationic lipid and nucleic acid cargo for organ-selective gene expression. The study also provides a new design principle towards the formulation of more effective LNPs for biomedical applications of pDNA, such as gene editing, vaccines and immunotherapies.

Yeast as carrier for drug delivery and vaccine construction

Yeast has been employed as an effective derived drug carrier as a unicellular microorganism. Many research works have been devoted to the encapsulation of nucleic acid compounds, insoluble small molecule drugs, small molecules, liposomes, polymers, and various nanoparticles in yeast for the treatment of disease. Recombinant yeast-based vaccine carriers (WYV) have played a major role in the development of vaccines. Herein, the latest reports on the application of yeast carriers and the development of related research are summarized, a conceptual description of gastrointestinal absorption of yeast carriers, as well as the various package forms of different drug molecules and nanoparticles in yeast carriers are introduced. In addition, the advantages and development of recombinant yeast vaccine carriers for the disease, veterinary and aquaculture applications are discussed. Moreover, the current challenges and future directions of yeast carriers are proposed.

Arginine-Rich Polymers with Pore-Forming Capability Enable Efficient Intracellular Delivery via Direct Translocation Across Cell Membrane

Efficient delivery of biomacromolecules or drugs across the cell membrane via endocytosis usually encounters inevitable entrapment in endosomes and subsequent degradation in lyso-endosomes. To address this issue, a series of arginine-rich cell penetrating polymers is designed and synthesized, which internalize into cells by inducing the formation of pores on the cell membrane, thereby crossing the cell membrane via direct translocation that fundamentally avoids endo/lysosomal entrapment. The structure-activity relationship studies show that PTn-R2-C6, which is a type of polymer that has two arginine residues and a flexible hexanoic acid linker in each side chain, exhibits excellent pore-formation ability on the cell membrane. Further investigations indicate that PTn-R2-C6 rapidly transports plasmid DNAs into cytosol through a similar endocytosis-independent pathway, thereby achieving significantly higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity than the gold-standard transfection reagent PEI 25K. These results suggest the great potential of PTn-R2-C6 as a safe and efficient gene transfection reagent for wide applications including disease treatments, vaccine development, and biomedical research purposes.

Myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination: incidence, mechanisms, and clinical considerations

INTRODUCTION

Vaccines have demonstrated protection against the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19, but concerns regarding the rare side effect of acute myocarditis have stymied immunization efforts. This review aims to describe the incidence and theorized mechanisms of COVID vaccine-associated myocarditis and review relevant principles for management of vaccine-associated myocarditis.

AREAS COVERED

Epidemiologic studies of myocarditis after COVID vaccination are reviewed, which show an incidence of approximately 20-30 per million patients. The vast majority of these cases are seen with mRNA vaccines especially in male patients under 30 years of age. Mechanisms are largely theoretical, but molecular mimicry and dysregulated innate immune reactions have been proposed. While studies suggest that this subtype of myocarditis is mild and self-limited, long-term evidence is lacking. Principles of myocarditis treatment and surveillance are outlined as they apply to COVID vaccine-associated myocarditis.

EXPERT OPINION

COVID vaccine-associated myocarditis is rare but well described in certain at-risk groups. Better understanding of its pathogenesis is key to mitigating this complication and advancing vaccination efforts. Risk-benefit analyses demonstrate that individual- and population-level benefits of vaccination exceed the risks of this rare and mild form of myocarditis.

Carrier strategies boost the application of CRISPR/Cas system in gene therapy

Emerging clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) genome editing technology shows great potential in gene therapy. However, proteins and nucleic acids suffer from enzymatic degradation in the physiological environment and low permeability into cells. Exploiting carriers to protect the CRISPR system from degradation, enhance its targeting of specific tissues and cells, and reduce its immunogenicity is essential to stimulate its clinical applications. Here, the authors review the state-of-the-art CRISPR delivery systems and their applications, and describe strategies to improve the safety and efficacy of CRISPR mediated genome editing, categorized by three types of cargo formats, that is, Cas: single-guide RNA ribonucleoprotein, Cas mRNA and single-guide RNA, and Cas plasmid expressing CRISPR/Cas systems. The authors hope this review will help develop safe and efficient nanomaterial-based carriers for CRISPR tools.

Recent advancements in lipid–mRNA nanoparticles as a treatment option for cancer immunotherapy

Background

Cancer remains a serious health concern worldwide, and different approaches are being developed for its treatment. The strategy to use the immune system as an approach for treating cancer has recently gained momentum. Messenger RNA (mRNA) has been assessed as an up-and-coming resource for the evolution of advanced cancer immunotherapies over the past decades. However, degradation in extracellular compartments and during endosomal escape remain obstacles for efficient mRNA delivery and limit the therapeutic applications of this approach.

Area covered

Lipid-based nanocarriers are gaining significant attention as non-viral mRNA vectors. Various lipid-based nanocarrier types have been developed to enhance the stability of mRNA molecules, facilitate their transfection, and ensure delivery to an intracellular compartment suitable for further processing. This review discusses the development of novel mRNA delivery systems using lipids for effective cancer immunotherapy.

Expert opinion

mRNAs are superior to other biomolecules for developing therapeutic drugs and vaccines with multiple medical applications that are currently being explored by researchers in various biomedical fields. Lipid-based mRNA nanoparticles can improve the potency of the mRNA by enhancing its stability, enabling its cellular uptake, and facilitating its endosomal escape. Targetability of these therapeutics can be increased by conjugating their surface with the desired ligands or targeting agents. Lipid–mRNA nanoparticles are increasingly being incorporated in cancer immunotherapy applications, including vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell treatment, and several such nanoparticles are being assessed in clinical trials. Further research that assesses key variables for transfection efficiency of lipid–mRNA nanoparticles will expedite the development of improved therapeutics.

Delivery of mRNA for regulating functions of immune cells

Abnormal immune cell functions are commonly related to various diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapy can regulate the functions of immune cells or assign new functions to immune cells, thereby generating therapeutic immune responses to treat these diseases. However, mRNA is unstable in physiological environments and can hardly enter the cytoplasm of target cells; thus, effective mRNA delivery systems are critical for developing mRNA therapy. The two mRNA vaccines of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have demonstrated that lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) can deliver mRNA into dendritic cells (DCs) to induce immunization against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which opened the floodgates to the development of mRNA therapy. Apart from DCs, other immune cells are promising targets for mRNA therapy. This review summarized the barriers to mRNA delivery and advances in mRNA delivery for regulating the functions of different immune cells.

Enhanced BBB and BBTB penetration and improved anti-glioma behavior of Bortezomib through dual-targeting nanostructured lipid carriers

The effective treatment of glioma through conventional chemotherapy is proved to be a great challenge in clinics. The main reason is due to the existence of two physiological and pathological barriers respectively including the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB) that prevent most of the chemotherapeutics from efficient delivery to the brain tumors. To address this challenge, an ideal drug delivery system would efficiently traverse the BBB and BBTB and deliver the therapeutics into the glioma cells with high selectivity. Herein, a targeted delivery system was developed based on nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) modified with two proteolytically stable D-peptides, D8 and RI-VAP (Dual NLCs). D8 possesses high affinity towards nicotine acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), overexpressed on brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs), and can penetrate through BBB with high efficiency. RI-VAP is a specific ligand of cell surface GRP78 (csGRP78), a specific angiogenesis and cancer cell-surface marker, capable of circumventing the BBTB with superior glioma-homing property. Dual NLCs could internalize into BCECs, tumor neovascular endothelial cells, and glioma cells with high specificity and could penetrate through in vitro BBB and BBTB models with excellent efficiency compared to non-targeted or mono-targeted NLCs. In vivo whole-animal imaging and ex vivo imaging further confirmed the superior targeting capability of Dual NLCs towards intracranial glioma. When loaded with Bortezomib (BTZ), Dual NLCs attained the highest therapeutic efficiency by means of in vitro cytotoxicity and apoptosis and prolonged survival rate and anti-glioma behavior in intracranial glioma bearing mice. Collectively, the designed targeting platform in this study could overcome multiple barriers and effectively deliver BTZ to glioma cells, which represent its potential for advanced brain cancer treatment with promising therapeutic outcomes.

Will Host Genetics Affect the Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines? Historical Precedents

Recent progress in genomics and bioinformatics technologies have allowed for the emergence of immunogenomics field. This intersection of immunology and genetics has broadened our understanding of how the immune system responds to infection and vaccination. While the immunogenetic basis of the huge clinical variability in response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is currently being extensively studied, the host genetic determinants of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines remain largely unknown. Previous reports evidenced that vaccines may not protect all populations or individuals equally, due to multiple host- and vaccine-specific factors. Several studies on vaccine response to measles, rubella, hepatitis B, smallpox, and influenza highlighted the contribution of genetic mutations or polymorphisms in modulating the innate and adaptive immunity following vaccination. Specifically, genetic variants in genes encoding virus receptors, antigen presentation, cytokine production, or related to immune cells activation and differentiation could influence how an individual responds to vaccination. Although such knowledge could be utilized to generate personalized vaccine strategies to optimize the vaccine response, studies in this filed are still scarce. Here, we briefly summarize the scientific literature related to the immunogenetic determinants of vaccine-induced immunity, highlighting the possible role of host genetics in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines as well.

Polyester materials for mRNA delivery

Messenger RNA (mRNA) has recently made important progress in clinical implementation, offering a promising therapeutic option for infectious disease and cancer. However, the nature of mRNA molecules rendered them poorly bioavailable and unstable in vivo, impeding their further clinical application. Therefore, safe and efficient delivery of mRNA therapeutics to the target site is crucial for their successful translation into the clinical setting. Various vectors have been explored for mRNA delivery. Among them, polyesters and their analogs, a family of biodegradable polymers, have exhibited great potential for mRNA delivery. In this short review, the authors briefly introduce mRNA therapeutics, their therapeutic applications and delivery challenges. The authors then presented the typical examples of polyester materials for mRNA delivery to highlight the current progress and discuss the challenges for the rational design of polyester based mRNA delivery vectors. The authors hope to provide a new insight for the design of biodegradable vectors for nucleic acids delivery, thereby promoting their further clinic translation.