[1PS-054]
우수논문발표상 응모자Effect of PEG-Lipid Type and Content on the Structural Characteristics of DNA-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles Formulated via Ring Mixer
발표자최지우 (단국대)
연구책임자김세영 (단국대)
Abstract
mRNA vaccines induce immune responses by directing intracellular synthesis of antigen proteins and have demonstrated efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. However, mRNA is rapidly degraded in vivo, requiring lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulation for stable delivery. In this study, we used a toroidal microfluidic ring mixer to formulate LNPs by mixing Salmon sperm DNA, an ionizable lipid, a helper lipid, cholesterol, and a PEGylated phospholipid (PEG-lipid; mPEG(2K)-DMPE or mPEG(2K)-DSPE) in ethanol and aqueous streams. The type and content of PEG lipid were varied, and particle size and polydispersity were measured by dynamic light scattering, and its morphology was examined by cryo-transmission electron microscopy. We observed that increasing PEG-lipid content led to smaller, more uniform particles. These results underscore the critical role of PEG-lipid ratio in tuning LNP physicochemical characteristics and provide design guidelines for next-generation mRNA vaccine delivery systems.