Drug Delivery Systems: Lipid Nanoparticles Technology in Clinic

TL;DR: Drug delivery systems based on lipid nanoparticles are used to deliver a variety of therapeutic agents, including small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids. Lipid nanoparticles are self-assembled vesicles that are made up of lipids. They are used to deliver hydrophobic or hydrophilic drugs, and they can also be used to deliver nucleic acids.

Abstract: Drug delivery systems (DDS) aid the administration of therapeutic cargoes to desired tissues to evoke a pharmacological response with minimal adverse effects. DDS are associated with the delivery of small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids. The chemical nature and the architecture of the delivery systems facilitate these therapeutic agents to achieve the most efficient pharmacologic responses. In this setting, lipids are used to deliver hydrophobic or hydrophilic drugs in self-assembled vesicles. Along with the utilization of cationic lipids, delivery of nucleic acids on account of charged-based interactions has gained momentum. As the field evolves, ionizable lipids are being synthesized which aid the fabrication of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in providing a protective environment for delivery of nucleic acids by avoiding enzymatic degradation. Progression in the development of synthetic lipids has led to the regulatory approval of mRNA vaccines, developed to provide immunity, by utilizing LNPs as delivery systems. Moreover, ionizable biodegradable lipids present immense opportunities for in vivo delivery of tools for genome engineering. This chapter highlights the biological importance of lipids, recent developments in the delivery of a variety of therapeutic cargoes using LNPs, types of lipids employed in fabrication and the methodologies for synthesis. Finally, the chapter details the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics achieved using LNPs in advanced therapeutics.