May 26 to Jun 09, 2025 Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) News Brief

Brief Summary

Cornell University: Developed PEG-free "stealth" LNPs to reduce immune responses in mRNA vaccines.

University of Hawaiʻi/Sungkyunkwan University: Created neutrophil-targeted LNPs to mitigate COVID-19 lung damage.

Moderna: Received FDA approval for next-gen COVID-19 vaccine (mNEXSPIKE) using refrigerated LNPs.

CRISPR Therapeutics: Reported positive Phase 1 data for LNP-delivered ANGPTL3 gene-editing therapy.

University of Pennsylvania: Enhanced T-cell responses in mRNA vaccines using IL-12 adjuvant-loaded LNPs.

FDA Cell and Gene Therapy Roundtable: Experts highlighted LNP technology as a plug-and-play platform for rapid, personalized gene editing therapies.

Detailed News Summaries

1. Cornell University: PEG-Free LNPs for mRNA Vaccines

Release Date: May 29, 2025

Website Link: https://phys.org/news/2025-05-stealthy-lipid-nanoparticles-mrna-vaccines.html

Authors: Shaoyi Jiang (Cornell University)

Related Institution: Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA)

Cornell researchers developed a new LNP formulation that replaces PEG with a biocompatible alternative to reduce immune activation, improving mRNA delivery efficiency and avoiding PEG-related adverse reactions.

2. University of Hawaiʻi/Sungkyunkwan University: Neutrophil-Targeted LNPs for COVID-19 Lung Damage

Graphical abstract. Credit: Journal of Controlled Release (2025). DOI: 10.1016

Release Date: May 30, 2025

Website Link: https://phys.org/news/2025-05-lipid-nanoparticle-drug-covid-lung.html

Authors: Saguna Verma (University of Hawaiʻi), Wooram Park (Sungkyunkwan University)

Related Institutions:

• John A. Burns School of Medicine (Honolulu, HI, USA)

• Sungkyunkwan University (Suwon, South Korea)

Researchers created LNPs co-delivering DNase I and Sivelestat to suppress neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in COVID-19 mouse models, reducing inflammation and fibrosis with high dose efficiency.

3. Moderna: FDA Approval for Next-Gen COVID-19 Vaccine

Release Date: May 31, 2025

Website Link: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-approves-modernas-next-gen-covid-vaccine-adults-65-or-older-2025-05-31/

Related Institution: Moderna, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, USA)

Moderna’s mNEXSPIKE vaccine, formulated with refrigerator-stable LNPs, received FDA approval for older adults and high-risk groups, improving vaccine distribution logistics.

4. CRISPR Therapeutics: Phase 1 Data for ANGPTL3-Targeting LNPs

Release Date: June 9, 2025

Website Link: https://crisprtx.com/about-us/press-releases-and-presentations/crispr-therapeutics-provides-first-quarter-2025-financial-results-and-announces-positive-top-line-data-from-phase-1-clinical-trial-of-ctx310-targeting-angptl3

Related Institution: CRISPR Therapeutics (Zug, Switzerland)

CTX310™, an LNP-delivered CRISPR therapy, showed strong reductions in triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in Phase 1 trials by targeting ANGPTL3, advancing gene-editing treatments for cardiovascular disease.

5. University of Pennsylvania: IL-12 Adjuvant Enhances mRNA Vaccines

Credit: Tumeggy / Science Photo Library / Getty Images

Release Date: June 9, 2025

Website Link: https://www.genengnews.com/topics/cancer/t-cell-response-to-mrna-vaccine-improved-with-cytokine-adjuvant/

Authors: Anthony Phan, Christopher Hunter, Mohamad-Gabriel Alameh

Related Institution: University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

Researchers demonstrated that including IL-12 mRNA in LNPs significantly boosted CD8+ T-cell responses in mRNA vaccines, resulting in longer-lasting immunity and efficacy in cancer models.

6. FDA Cell and Gene Therapy Roundtable: LNPs as Plug-and-Play Delivery for Personalized Gene Editing

Credit: Thom Leach/Science Photo Library/Getty

Release Date: June 6, 2025

Website Link: https://www.genengnews.com/topics/genome-editing/cell-and-gene-therapy-leaders-tell-fda-believe-in-american-solutions/

Authors: Multiple roundtable participants, including Paula Cannon (USC), David R. Liu (Harvard/Broad), Fyodor Urnov (UC Berkeley/IGI), Carl June (UPenn), Terrence Flotte (UMass Chan), and others

Related Institutions:

• University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

• Harvard University/Broad Institute (Cambridge, MA, USA)

• University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA, USA)

• University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

• UMass Chan Medical School (Worcester, MA, USA)

At the FDA’s Cell and Gene Therapy Roundtable, leaders from academia, industry, and government discussed the critical role of lipid nanoparticle technology in enabling rapid, scalable, and personalized gene editing therapies. LNPs were praised as a "plug-and-play" platform, especially in the context of recent successes combining CRISPR and LNPs for bespoke treatments such as the case of "Baby KJ." Panelists emphasized that LNPs are key to expanding access, reducing manufacturing barriers, and accelerating the delivery of next-generation cell and gene therapies in the U.S.