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Determination of the interior pH of lipid nanoparticles using a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye-based DNA probe

delete2024-05-01
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PRE
AI
B
Bin Zhao
A
Albert Kamanzi
Y
Yao Zhang
K
Karen Y. T. Chan
M
Madelaine Robertson
S
Sabrina Leslie
P
Pieter R. Cullis *
DOI:10.1016/j.bios.2024.116065delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) containing ionizable cationic lipids are proven delivery systems for therapeutic nucleic acids, such as small interfering RNA (siRNA). It is important to understand the relationship between the interior pH of LNPs and the pH of the external environment to understand LNP formulation and function. Here, we developed a simple and rapid approach for determining the pH of the LNP core using a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye-based DNA probe. LNP siRNA systems containing pH-responsive DNA probes (LNP-siRNA&DNA) were generated by rapid mixing of lipids in ethanol and pH 4 aqueous buffer containing siRNA and DNA probes. We demonstrated that DNA probes were readily encapsulated in LNP systems and were sequestered into an environment at a high concentration as evidenced by an inter-probe FRET signal. It was shown that the pH of LNP encapsulated probes closely follows the pH increase or decrease of the external environment. This indicates that the clinically approved LNP RNA systems with similar lipid compositions (e.g., Onpattro and Comirnaty) are highly permeable to protons and that the pH of the interior environment closely mirrors the external environment. The pH-dependent response of the probe in LNPs was also confirmed under buffer conditions at various pHs. Furthermore, we showed that the pH-sensitive DNA probe can be incorporated into LNP systems at levels that allow the pH response to be monitored at a single LNP level using convex lens-induced confinement (CLiC) confocal microscopy. Direct visualization of the internal pH of single particles with the fluorescent DNA probe was achieved by CLiC for LNP-siRNA&DNA systems formulated under both high and normal ionic strength conditions.
Keywords:
Lipid nanoparticles
Ionizable cationic lipids
pH -sensitive dye
Fluorescent DNA probes
Single-particle imaging
siRNA therapeutics

Journal

Biosensors and Bioelectronics cover
Biosensors and Bioelectronics
IF:
10.5
Papers:
1.8W
Citations:
7.7W

Organization

U
University of British Columbia
Scholars:
6.9W
Papers: 6.1W
Citations: 8.6W