Soybean Oil‐Derived Lipids for Efficient mRNA Delivery

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2024-03, Vol.36 (13), p.e2302901-n/a
• Main Authors: Tang, Zhongmin, Yu, Fan, Hsu, Jessica C., Shi, Jianlin, Cai, Weibo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Editing; gene editing; Gene Editing - methods; Genetic modification; Infectious diseases; lipid nanoparticles; Lipids; mRNA delivery; Nanoparticles; ring‐opening reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Soybean Oil; Soybeans; Vaccines; Vegetable oils
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202302901

The rapid progress in the development of COVID‐19 mRNA vaccines during the initial year of the pandemic has highlighted the significance of lipid nanoparticles in therapeutic delivery. Various lipid types have been investigated for the effective delivery of mRNA, each with unique functions and versatile applications. These range from their use in cancer immunotherapy and gene editing to their role in developing vaccines against infectious diseases. Nonetheless, continued exploration of novel lipids and synthetic approaches is necessary to further advance the understanding and expand the techniques for optimizing mRNA delivery. In this work, new lipids derived from FDA‐approved soybean oil are facilely synthesized and these are employed for efficient mRNA delivery. EGFP and Fluc mRNA are used to evaluate the delivery efficacy of the lipid formulations both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, organ‐specific targeting capabilities are observed in certain formulations, and their outstanding performance is demonstrated in delivering Cre mRNA for gene editing. These results showcase the potential of soybean oil‐derived lipids in mRNA delivery, offering utility across a broad spectrum of bioapplications. Based on Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐approved soybean oil, new soybean oil‐derived lipids are facilely synthesized for efficient mRNA delivery. These lipids demonstrate excellent performance in delivering Cre mRNA for gene editing applications, highlighting their potential for diverse biomedical applications, especially those requiring efficient mRNA delivery and organ‐specific targeting.