Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Testing the In Vitro and In Vivo Efficiency of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles Formulated by Microfluidic Mixing
Published on: January 20, 2023
Selective mRNA Delivery to Activated Macrophages via Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Lipid Nanoparticles with
Mengyuan Cao1, François Fay1,2, Adrouchan Hotier1
1Institut Galien Paris-Saclay, UMR CNRS 8612, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400 Orsay, France.
Abstract:
Activated proinflammatory macrophages are associated with various inflammatory diseases, and due to their overexpression of the CD44 receptor, they may be targeted for therapy by hyaluronic acid (HA), its natural ligand. This study aimed to develop lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) functionalized with HA and stabilized with an optimized amount of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) for targeted mRNA delivery to activated macrophages. Using microfluidic mixing, LNPs were produced with either 1.5% PEG (LNP1.5%PEG) or 0.5% PEG (LNP0.5%PEG). HA-coated LNPs (HA-LNPs) were prepared by postinsertion of an HA-DPPE conjugate, and changes in size and zeta potential demonstrated a successful and efficient HA coating, which was quantified by spectrofluorimetry and nanoscale flow cytometry. In vitro studies showed that HA-LNP0.5%PEG exhibited better uptake in activated macrophages while maintaining mRNA transfection efficiency, whereas HA-LNP1.5%PEG did not improve its uptake, suggesting that excessive PEG can hinder targeting. Overall, HA-LNP0.5%PEG effectively delivered mRNA to activated macrophages with enhanced selectivity.
Related Concept Videos
Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay
Usually, Upf3 binds to an Exon Junction Complex (EJC) at mRNA splice sites. If a ribosome fully translates the mRNA,...
Nuclear Export of mRNA
What are Lipids?
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing
The chromatin structure, especially...
Structure of Lipids

