Membrane-destabilizing ionizable phospholipids for organ-selective mRNA delivery and CRISPR-Cas gene editing.
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ABSTRACT: Endosomal escape remains a fundamental barrier hindering the advancement of nucleic acid therapeutics. Taking inspiration from natural phospholipids that comprise biological membranes, we report the combinatorial synthesis of multi-tailed ionizable phospholipids (iPhos) capable of delivering messenger RNA or mRNA/single-guide RNA for gene editing in vivo. Optimized iPhos lipids are composed of one pH-switchable zwitterion and three hydrophobic tails, which adopt a cone shape in endosomal acidic environments to facilitate membrane hexagonal transformation and subsequent cargo release from endosomes. Structure-activity relationships reveal that iPhos chemical structure can control in vivo efficacy and organ selectivity. iPhos lipids synergistically function with various helper lipids to formulate multi-component lipid nanoparticles (called iPLNPs) for selective organ targeting. Zwitterionic, ionizable cationic and permanently cationic helper lipids enable tissue-selective mRNA delivery and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in spleen, liver and lungs (respectively) following intravenous administration. This rational design of functional phospholipids demonstrates substantial value for gene editing research and therapeutic applications.
SUBMITTER: Liu S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8188687 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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