journal article·2025-11

Albumin-recruiting lipid nanoparticle potentiates the safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines by avoiding liver accumulation

Yunxuan Feng, Wanbo Tai, Pei Huang, Shaolong Qi, Xinyang Yu, Mengfei Li, Mengyao Li, Miya Zhang, Fangfang Cao, Xiaomin Gao, Kai Yang, Bing Bai, Jiaqi Lei, Meiqi Cheng, Yongcan Li, Gong Cheng, Xiaoyuan Chen, Guocan Yu

Nature Materials· Volume 24· Issue 11
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Abstract

The advent of mRNA vaccines represents a breakthrough in the realm of cancer therapy and the prevention of infectious disease. Nevertheless, traditional lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based mRNA vaccines can accumulate in the liver post-intramuscular injection, posing a risk of hepatotoxicity and reducing efficacy. Here we develop an albumin-recruiting LNP system with high lymphatic drainage and no accumulation in hepatic tissue to potentiate the efficacy and safety of mRNA vaccines. We construct a library of ionizable lipids with albumin-binding capacity as alternatives to traditional polyethylene-glycol-conjugated lipid. We identify an Evans blue-modified lipid-based LNP (EB-LNP) formulation that shows high in vivo expression, albumin-facilitated transport through intramuscular lymphatic vessels to the lymph nodes, high internalization by dendritic cells and low penetration into intramuscular blood vessels, thereby avoiding liver accumulation. EB-LNP-based mRNA vaccines demonstrate excellent antitumour and antiviral efficacy, resulting in strong cellular and humoral immune responses, including the robust activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and production of neutralizing antibodies post-vaccination. Overall, this system shows promise as an effective and minimally toxic platform for the development of mRNA vaccines with high efficacy and safety.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗

Research context

OpenAlex topics: RNA Interference and Gene Delivery · Immunotherapy and Immune Responses · Hepatitis B Virus Studies

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

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