Researchers at the University of Houston's College of Pharmacy announced on June 16 that adding salt to lipid nanoparticles can improve the performance of mRNA vaccines and gene therapeutics. The findings, published in Small, address a key challenge in gene medicine: delivering fragile therapeutic material into cells effectively.
Lipid nanoparticles are widely used as delivery vehicles for genetic material, including during the COVID-19 pandemic with mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. However, much of the therapeutic cargo often becomes trapped inside endosomes—membrane-bound compartments within cells—which prevents it from reaching its intended target inside the cell.
"Many gene therapies fail because of this," said Meng. "We found a surprisingly simple way to help more of that cargo escape."
Meng and his research team discovered that loading salt into lipid nanoparticles creates pressure inside endosomes, which helps release therapeutic material into the cell where it can become active. The researchers believe this strategy could eventually enhance treatments ranging from mRNA vaccines to gene editing technologies and other nucleic acid-based therapeutics.
The method relies on controlling the ionic environment rather than complex chemical redesigns, making it easier to adapt for future therapies and large-scale manufacturing. "Instead of redesigning the nanoparticle itself, we found that controlling the ionic environment can fundamentally improve delivery inside the cell," Meng said. "Because this method is simple and scalable, it has strong potential for next-generation RNA and gene-based medicines."
Meng said their findings may offer a practical new path toward making these therapies more efficient and accessible as interest in gene medicine continues to grow worldwide. The research team includes Cao Thuy Giang Nguyen and Hoang Quan Truong from the University of Massachusetts Lowell; Yanghao Li; and Urmila Kafle from UH.
