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Development of Lipids for mRNA Delivery 

In 1976, nucleic acids were enclosed and transported within polymeric particles1. Subsequently, liposomes were shown to facilitate the delivery of exogenous mRNA into host cells2,3 (Fig.1). Lipids, characterized by their amphiphilic nature, consist of three components: a polar head group, a hydrophobic tail region, and a linker connecting the two domains. Various types of lipids, including cationic lipids, ionizable lipids, and others, have been investigated for mRNA delivery (Fig.2). 

 

Fig. 1. Milestones of mRNA and Lipid nanoparticle development 

time axle LNP mRNA.png

Fig. 2 Molecular configurations of lipids and their derivatives utilized in mRNA delivery.

lipids type.jpg

306Oi10, tetrakis(8-methylnonyl) 3,3′,3″,3‴-(((methylazanediyl) bis(propane-3,1 diyl))bis (azanetriyl))tetrapropionate; 9A1P9, decyl (2-(dioctylammonio)ethyl) phosphate; A2-Iso5-2DC18, ethyl 5,5-di((Z)-heptadec-8-en-1-yl)-1-(3-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)propyl)-2,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-2-carboxylate; ALC-0315, ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate); ALC-0159, 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide; β-sitosterol, (3S,8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-17-((2R,5R)-5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-tetradecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol; BAME-O16B, bis(2-(dodecyldisulfanyl)ethyl) 3,3′-((3-methyl-9-oxo-10-oxa-13,14-dithia-3,6-diazahexacosyl)azanediyl)dipropionate; BHEM-Cholesterol, 2-(((((3S,8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-10,13-dimethyl-17-((R)-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-tetradecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-yl)oxy)carbonyl)amino)-N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-methylethan-1-aminium bromide; C12-200, 1,1′-((2-(4-(2-((2-(bis(2-hydroxydodecyl)amino)ethyl) (2-hydroxydodecyl)amino)ethyl) piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)azanediyl) bis(dodecan-2-ol); cKK-E12, 3,6-bis(4-(bis(2-hydroxydodecyl)amino)butyl)piperazine-2,5-dione; DC-Cholesterol, 3β-[N-(N′,N′-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl]cholesterol; DLin-MC3-DMA, (6Z,9Z,28Z,31Z)-heptatriaconta-6,9,28,31-tetraen-19-yl 4-(dimethylamino) butanoate; DOPE, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine; DOSPA, 2,3-dioleyloxy-N-[2-(sperminecarboxamido)ethyl]-N,N-dimethyl-1-propanaminium trifluoroacetate; DOTAP, 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane; DOTMA, 1,2-di-O-octadecenyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane; DSPC, 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; ePC, ethylphosphatidylcholine; FTT5, hexa(octan-3-yl) 9,9′,9″,9‴,9″″,9‴″- ((((benzene-1,3,5-tricarbonyl)yris(azanediyl)) tris (propane-3,1-diyl)) tris(azanetriyl))hexanonanoate; Lipid H (SM-102), heptadecan-9-yl 8-((2-hydroxyethyl)(6-oxo-6- (undecyloxy)hexyl)amino) octanoate; OF-Deg-Lin, (((3,6-dioxopiperazine-2,5-diyl)bis(butane-4, 1-diyl))bis(azanetriyl))tetrakis(ethane-2,1-diyl) (9Z,9′Z,9″Z,9‴Z,12Z,12′Z,12″Z,12‴Z)-tetrakis (octadeca-9,12-dienoate); PEG2000-DMG, 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycero-3-methoxypolyethylene glycol-2000; TT3, N1,N3,N5-tris(3-(didodecylamino)propyl)benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide. Langer, R. & Folkman, J. Polymers for the sustained release of proteins and other macromolecules. Nature 263, 797–800 (1976). Ostro, M. J., Giacomoni, D., Lavelle, D., Paxton, W. & Dray, S. Evidence for translation of rabbit globin mRNA after liposomemediated insertion into a human cell line. Nature 274, 921–923 (1978). Dimitriadis, G. J. Translation of rabbit globin mRNA introduced by liposomes into mouse lymphocytes. Nature 274, 923–924 (1978).

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