Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Splenic dendritic cell-targeting mRNA transfection of H-type ionizable lipid-based LNPs for enhancing tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.018

Figure Lengend Snippet: Schematic illustration of in vivo tumor immunotherapy enhanced by mRNA/HNPs through intravenous injection. H18 lipid, DOPE, cholesterol, DMG-PEG 2000 and mRNA were mixed to form mRNA/H 18 NPs with the special multilamellar concentric nanostructures. Following intravenous administration, mRNA/H 18 NPs demonstrated preferential adsorption of complement C3 proteins to form a characteristic protein corona, resulting in specific mRNA transfection in the spleen, especially in splenic dendritic cells. When encapsulating tumor antigen-encoding mRNA, the mRNA/H 18 NPs achieved precise transfection of the antigen mRNA in splenic dendritic cells. This targeted delivery stimulated dendritic cell maturation and subsequent antigen presentation, initiating robust T cell priming. The activated antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes then infiltrated into tumor tissues, ultimately inducing tumor cell elimination.

Article Snippet: Luciferase mRNA, OVA mRNA, and EGFP mRNA were purchased from Novoprotein (Suzhou, China).

Techniques: In Vivo, Injection, Adsorption, Transfection, Immunopeptidomics

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Splenic dendritic cell-targeting mRNA transfection of H-type ionizable lipid-based LNPs for enhancing tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.018

Figure Lengend Snippet: Preparation and Characterization of Optimal mRNA/H 18 NPs. (A) Schematic illustration of mRNA/H 18 NPs preparation. (B) The size distribution and (C) zeta potential of optimized mRNA/H 18 NPs. (D) The apparent p K a of mRNA/H 18 NPs. (E) Cryo-EM image of optimized mRNA/H 18 NPs. Scale bar = 50 nm. (F) Representative image and percentage of bioluminescence in major organs of mice following intravenous injection of mLuc/H 18 NPs. (G)-(I) Stability test for mRNA/H 18 NPs. (G) Size and PDI of mRNA/H 18 NPs when stored at 4 °C for different days (0, 3, 5, 7). (H) Left: Total bioluminescence flux in the spleen of mice 6 h after intravenous injection of mLuc/H 18 NPs stored at 4 °C for different days (0, 3, 5, 7). Right: Representative bioluminescence images of major organs of mice 6 h after intravenous injection of different mLuc/H 18 NPs stored at 4 °C for different days (0, 3, 5, 7). (I) Size and PDI of mRNA/H 18 NPs when diluted with PBS by different times. Data were shown as mean ± SD (n = 3).

Article Snippet: Luciferase mRNA, OVA mRNA, and EGFP mRNA were purchased from Novoprotein (Suzhou, China).

Techniques: Zeta Potential Analyzer, Cryo-EM Sample Prep, Injection

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Splenic dendritic cell-targeting mRNA transfection of H-type ionizable lipid-based LNPs for enhancing tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.018

Figure Lengend Snippet: In vivo splenic DC-specific transfection of mRNA/H 18 NPs and in vitro protein corona analysis of mRNA/H 18 NPs. (A) EGFP protein expression in splenic cell subsets of C57BL/6J mice 24 h post intravenous injection of different formulations. (B) The top 5 most abundant plasma proteins adsorbed on mRNA/H 18 NPs (C3: Complement C3; Ighm: Immunoglobulin heavy constant mu; Hbat1: Alpha-globin; Itih4: Inter alpha-trypsin inhibitor, heavy chain 4; Cnn2: Calponin). (C) Heatmap plot of major proteins in the protein corona adsorbed on mRNA/MC3-LNPs and mRNA/H 18 NPs. PBS group was used as a negative control. (D) Quantification of major adsorbed protein categories of different formulations. (E) Complement C3 abundance in protein corona adsorbed on mRNA/MC3-LNPs and mRNA/H 18 NPs. (F) Bioluminescence images of major organs and (G) Quantification of total bioluminescence flux in the spleen from C57BL/6J mice 6 h after intravenous injection of mLuc/H 18 NPs (mLuc dose of 0.25 mg kg −1 ). Mice were pre-treated with cobra venom factor (CVF) or PBS. (H) Fluorescence quantification of Cy5 mRNA delivered by uncoated or complement C3-coated Cy5-mRNA/H 18 NPs in BMDCs. BMDCs were pre-incubated with anti-CD11b (CR3) or anti-IgG blocking antibody. (I) Bioluminescence intensity of luciferase protein translated from mRNA delivered by uncoated or complement C3-coated mLuc/H 18 NPs in BMDCs. BMDCs were pre-incubated with anti-CD11b (CR3) or anti-IgG blocking antibody. Data were shown as mean ± SD (n = 3).

Article Snippet: Luciferase mRNA, OVA mRNA, and EGFP mRNA were purchased from Novoprotein (Suzhou, China).

Techniques: In Vivo, Transfection, In Vitro, Expressing, Injection, Clinical Proteomics, Negative Control, Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis Assay, Fluorescence, Incubation, Blocking Assay, Luciferase

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Splenic dendritic cell-targeting mRNA transfection of H-type ionizable lipid-based LNPs for enhancing tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.018

Figure Lengend Snippet: Schematic illustration of in vivo tumor immunotherapy enhanced by mRNA/HNPs through intravenous injection. H18 lipid, DOPE, cholesterol, DMG-PEG 2000 and mRNA were mixed to form mRNA/H 18 NPs with the special multilamellar concentric nanostructures. Following intravenous administration, mRNA/H 18 NPs demonstrated preferential adsorption of complement C3 proteins to form a characteristic protein corona, resulting in specific mRNA transfection in the spleen, especially in splenic dendritic cells. When encapsulating tumor antigen-encoding mRNA, the mRNA/H 18 NPs achieved precise transfection of the antigen mRNA in splenic dendritic cells. This targeted delivery stimulated dendritic cell maturation and subsequent antigen presentation, initiating robust T cell priming. The activated antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes then infiltrated into tumor tissues, ultimately inducing tumor cell elimination.

Article Snippet: Luciferase mRNA, OVA mRNA, and EGFP mRNA were purchased from Novoprotein (Suzhou, China).

Techniques: In Vivo, Injection, Adsorption, Transfection, Immunopeptidomics

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Splenic dendritic cell-targeting mRNA transfection of H-type ionizable lipid-based LNPs for enhancing tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.018

Figure Lengend Snippet: Preparation and Characterization of Optimal mRNA/H 18 NPs. (A) Schematic illustration of mRNA/H 18 NPs preparation. (B) The size distribution and (C) zeta potential of optimized mRNA/H 18 NPs. (D) The apparent p K a of mRNA/H 18 NPs. (E) Cryo-EM image of optimized mRNA/H 18 NPs. Scale bar = 50 nm. (F) Representative image and percentage of bioluminescence in major organs of mice following intravenous injection of mLuc/H 18 NPs. (G)-(I) Stability test for mRNA/H 18 NPs. (G) Size and PDI of mRNA/H 18 NPs when stored at 4 °C for different days (0, 3, 5, 7). (H) Left: Total bioluminescence flux in the spleen of mice 6 h after intravenous injection of mLuc/H 18 NPs stored at 4 °C for different days (0, 3, 5, 7). Right: Representative bioluminescence images of major organs of mice 6 h after intravenous injection of different mLuc/H 18 NPs stored at 4 °C for different days (0, 3, 5, 7). (I) Size and PDI of mRNA/H 18 NPs when diluted with PBS by different times. Data were shown as mean ± SD (n = 3).

Article Snippet: Luciferase mRNA, OVA mRNA, and EGFP mRNA were purchased from Novoprotein (Suzhou, China).

Techniques: Zeta Potential Analyzer, Cryo-EM Sample Prep, Injection

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Splenic dendritic cell-targeting mRNA transfection of H-type ionizable lipid-based LNPs for enhancing tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.018

Figure Lengend Snippet: In vivo splenic DC-specific transfection of mRNA/H 18 NPs and in vitro protein corona analysis of mRNA/H 18 NPs. (A) EGFP protein expression in splenic cell subsets of C57BL/6J mice 24 h post intravenous injection of different formulations. (B) The top 5 most abundant plasma proteins adsorbed on mRNA/H 18 NPs (C3: Complement C3; Ighm: Immunoglobulin heavy constant mu; Hbat1: Alpha-globin; Itih4: Inter alpha-trypsin inhibitor, heavy chain 4; Cnn2: Calponin). (C) Heatmap plot of major proteins in the protein corona adsorbed on mRNA/MC3-LNPs and mRNA/H 18 NPs. PBS group was used as a negative control. (D) Quantification of major adsorbed protein categories of different formulations. (E) Complement C3 abundance in protein corona adsorbed on mRNA/MC3-LNPs and mRNA/H 18 NPs. (F) Bioluminescence images of major organs and (G) Quantification of total bioluminescence flux in the spleen from C57BL/6J mice 6 h after intravenous injection of mLuc/H 18 NPs (mLuc dose of 0.25 mg kg −1 ). Mice were pre-treated with cobra venom factor (CVF) or PBS. (H) Fluorescence quantification of Cy5 mRNA delivered by uncoated or complement C3-coated Cy5-mRNA/H 18 NPs in BMDCs. BMDCs were pre-incubated with anti-CD11b (CR3) or anti-IgG blocking antibody. (I) Bioluminescence intensity of luciferase protein translated from mRNA delivered by uncoated or complement C3-coated mLuc/H 18 NPs in BMDCs. BMDCs were pre-incubated with anti-CD11b (CR3) or anti-IgG blocking antibody. Data were shown as mean ± SD (n = 3).

Article Snippet: Luciferase mRNA, OVA mRNA, and EGFP mRNA were purchased from Novoprotein (Suzhou, China).

Techniques: In Vivo, Transfection, In Vitro, Expressing, Injection, Clinical Proteomics, Negative Control, Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis Assay, Fluorescence, Incubation, Blocking Assay, Luciferase