Lipid-based Nanoparticles (LNP) Structures used for Drug Delivery and Targeting: Clinical Trials and Patents

Abstract: Lipid based nanoparticle (LNP) structures commonly used for drug delivery already in clinical use are generally classified into three viz vesicular systems, emulsion based systems and lipid nanoparticles. The details of the types, basic structural characteristics in drug delivery, clinical trials, and patents have been discussed in this work. Moreover, despite the therapeutic efficacies of LNPs, there are some toxicity challenges associated with their use. These toxicities may be cytotoxicity or genotoxicity; to overcome some of these challenges, some measures could be taken during preformulation stages in order to circumvent it. These measures have been extensively discussed in this work. LNPs are used in the targeting of immune cells, which are direct participants in a variety of diseases, hence, are attractive targets for therapy. Cell specific targeting of therapeutic agent(s) helps to concentrate and localize the therapeutic effect and, hence, lowers the systemic side effects, while simultaneously increasing the management outcome. Nanotechnology and particle engineering helps distinguish each immune cell from the other to deliver therapeutic agents and ensure in vivo stability as well as sustained drug release. Surface modification of LNP is an important characteristic utilized in targeting therapeutic agents and allows the utilization of various specific properties expressed in each immune cell. These targeting strategies have been explored in this work exhaustively, and some of the companies and academic labs that develop LNP have been discussed. Also, new ways of developing novel patentable LNP have been discussed.