Exciting Advances in Lipid Nanoparticle Characterization
As the Product Manager for NanoSight Pro, I am thrilled to share some exciting news from a recent peer-reviewed academic paper, Tailoring lipid nanoparticle dimensions through manufacturing processes, published in RSC Pharmaceutics. This study showcases the powerful synergy between NanoSight Pro and Zetasizer Advance Ultra, demonstrating their value as complementary technologies for characterizing
lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).
Lipid nanoparticles
Lipid nanoparticles are at the forefront of drug delivery, particularly in the development of mRNA vaccines and other advanced therapeutics. The ability to accurately characterize these nanoparticles is crucial for optimizing their design, formulation, and manufacturing processes. This is where the synergy between NanoSight Pro and Zetasizer Advance Ultra truly shines.
Power of two
The paper highlights the importance of understanding physicochemical attributes for optimizing LNP-based drug formulations and evaluating their effects in vitro and in vivo. Key parameters like particle size, polydispersity, and zeta potential are crucial for evaluating formulations. These attributes provide insights into formulation stability (via zeta potential) and heterogeneity (via polydispersity index or span).
When identifying trends, a multi-technology approach is essential to validate findings. For instance, NanoSight Pro is the perfect partner to Zetasizer Advance because it delivers quick particle size distributions. Additionally, NanoSight Pro’s visual validation provides immediate and direct confirmation of sample heterogeneity and potential stability issues.
While both techniques measure size distribution, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) often reports smaller particle sizes than dynamic light scattering (DLS), particularly for larger, more polydisperse LNP samples (see Figure below) . DLS, being intensity-based, is influenced by larger particles dominating the overall distribution, whereas NTA’s particle-by-particle method avoids this bias. For smaller, more uniform LNPs, size distribution data from both methods aligns well.
NTA also provides concentration measurements, helping researchers determine whether LNPs formed as expected. This study observed higher particle counts for smaller LNPs and fewer for larger ones, reflecting the consistent material distribution across samples.
The study emphasizes particle size as a critical quality attribute (CQA). Size impacts not only the manufacturing process but also the expression efficiency of LNP-based drug candidates, both in vitro and in vivo.
Complementary insights
By combining the strengths of NanoSight Pro and Zetasizer Advance, researchers can achieve a comprehensive characterization of lipid nanoparticles. This approach enables more informed decision-making throughout the entire development pipeline—from vector design and formulation development to large-scale manufacturing.
The implications of this are profound. With better characterization tools, we can accelerate the development of more effective and safer medicines. This means faster delivery of life-saving treatments to patients in need, ultimately improving health outcomes for patients.
Sharing research
I am proud to see how NanoSight Pro and Zetasizer Advance play a pivotal role in this cutting-edge research. A lot of care goes into developing features that solve problems, and help our customers overcome their challenges. However, once the instruments leave our hands, we don’t often get to see them in action, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry where confidentiality is paramount due to the high stakes involved. This is why it is especially rewarding to read research like this, which highlights the real-world impact of our technologies.
Do you have research to share with us? I’d love to hear how NanoSight Pro is helping advance your research. Together, we are making strides towards a healthier future.
Further reading
- This blog, Shining Light on Particle Concentration, from Jonathan Mehtala compares and contrasts the differences between NanoSight Pro and Zetasizer Advance Ultra
- Check out this webinar from Professor Yvonne Perrie, one of the authors of the RSC Pharmaceutics paper, Transform vaccine production with these nanoparticle characterization techniques
- Read more about the four key complementary tools that will help you with the biophysical characterization of lipid nanoparticles with our eBook, Overcoming challenges in LNP vector analysis: key tools, techniques, and considerations
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