Issue 19, 2024

Critical considerations of mRNA–LNP technology for CAR-T therapy: components, payloads and emerging horizons

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) therapy has shown great success in treating hematologic tumors. However, the current methods of producing CAR-T cells in vitro and in vivo have drawbacks in terms of high cost, safety issues and efficacy problems. Therefore, there is a need for a more practical and feasible technology platform for CAR-T cell production. Messenger RNA (mRNA) encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) has emerged as a promising technology for CAR-T cell production, given its successful application in vaccine production and potential for industrial scalability. This review focuses on in vivo CAR-T cell production utilizing mRNA–LNP technology. Overcoming biological barriers is a major challenge in targeting T cells with LNPs, highlighting the importance of advancements in LNP delivery. Transient CAR mRNA expression presents significant challenges, emphasizing the necessity to modify and optimize mRNA sequences for enhanced stability, prolonged half-life and improved expression levels. This review provides a comprehensive summary of advances in LNPs and mRNA research, as well as the development of novel nucleic acid generations, including self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA), aimed at aiding in the enhancement of mRNA–LNP technology in CAR-T cell therapy.

Graphical abstract: Critical considerations of mRNA–LNP technology for CAR-T therapy: components, payloads and emerging horizons

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
07 Jun 2024
Accepted
19 Aga 2024
First published
22 Aga 2024

Mater. Chem. Front., 2024,8, 3106-3135

Critical considerations of mRNA–LNP technology for CAR-T therapy: components, payloads and emerging horizons

Y. Qu, R. Liu, D. Sun and Z. Dai, Mater. Chem. Front., 2024, 8, 3106 DOI: 10.1039/D4QM00479E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements