Probing Molecular Packing of Lipid Nanoparticles from ³¹P Solution and Solid-State NMR

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are intricate multicomponent systems widely recognized for their efficient delivery of oligonucleotide cargo to host cells. Gaining insights into the molecular properties of LNPs is crucial for their effective design and characterization. However, analysis of their internal structure at the molecular level presents a significant challenge. This study introduces ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods to acquire structural and dynamic information about the phospholipid envelope of LNPs. Specifically, we demonstrate that the ³¹P chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) parameters serve as a sensitive indicator of the molecular assembly of distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) lipids within the particles. An analytical protocol for measuring ³¹P CSA is developed, which can be implemented using either solution NMR or solid-state NMR, offering wide accessibility and adaptability. The capability of this method is demonstrated using both model DSPC liposomes and real-world pharmaceutical LNP formulations. Furthermore, our method can be employed to investigate the impact of formulation processes and composition on the assembly of specifically LNP particles or, more generally, phospholipid-based delivery systems. This makes it an indispensable tool for evaluating critical pharmaceutical properties such as structural homogeneity, batch-to-batch reproducibility, and the stability of the particles.