A new drug delivery system transports genetic therapies directly to the lungs, opening promising possibilities for patients with conditions like lung cancer and cystic fibrosis.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Targeted Lung Delivery — Scientists developed a novel nanoparticle system capable of safely delivering genetic therapies like mRNA and gene-editing tools directly to lung cells.
- Therapeutic Success in Mice — In mouse models, the treatment slowed lung cancer growth and improved lung function in cystic fibrosis, demonstrating its dual potential.
- Customizable Lipid Nanocarriers — A new chemical synthesis method enables the creation of lung-targeting lipids that can be tailored to deliver genetic medicines to various organs.
Scientists have developed a new drug delivery system that transports genetic therapies directly to the lungs, opening promising possibilities for patients with conditions like lung cancer and cystic fibrosis, according to findings were published in Nature Communications and the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Scientists from Oregon State University’s College of Pharmacy, Oregon Health & Science University, and the University of Helsinki created and tested more than 150 different materials and discovered a new type of nanoparticle that can safely and effectively carry messenger RNA and gene-editing tools to lung cells. In studies with mice, the treatment slowed the growth of lung cancer and helped improve lung function that had been limited by cystic fibrosis, a condition caused by one faulty gene.
Researchers also developed a chemical strategy to build a broad library of lung-targeting lipids used in the nanocarriers. These materials form the foundation for the new drug delivery system and could be customized to reach different organs in the body, Sahay said.
“The streamlined synthesis method makes it easier to design future therapies for a wide range of diseases,” he said. “These results demonstrate the power of targeted delivery for genetic medicines. We were able to both activate the immune system to fight cancer and restore function in a genetic lung disease, without harmful side effects.”
Oregon State’s K. Yu Vlasova, D.K. Sahel, Namratha Turuvekere Vittala Murthy, Milan Gautam and Antony Jozic and the University of Helsinki’s Andrew Kerr and Robert Luxenhofer were co-authors of the Nature Communications paper. OSU’s Murthy, Jonas Renner, Milan Gautam, Emily Bodi and Antony Jozic teamed with Sahay on the other study.
“Our long-term goal is to create safer, more effective treatments by delivering the right genetic tools to the right place,” said Sahay. “This is a major step in that direction.”
Source: Oregon State University’s College of Pharmacy
