Penn engineers develop targeted lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery to the brain

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed modified lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that can cross the blood-brain barrier and target specific brain cells, including neurons. This advancement could lead to new treatments for neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The study, published in Nano Letters, shows that peptides can be used to direct LNPs to specific cell types. This is a significant improvement over previous methods, which only demonstrated that LNPs could deliver mRNA to the brain without targeting specific cells. The new approach uses smaller peptides instead of antibodies, making the LNPs more stable and easier to produce. The researchers are now investigating how many neurons need to be treated to effectively address symptoms of neurological diseases.