Peptide Coatings to Tune mRNA Lipid Nanoparticles
Tianjin researchers coat formulated lipid nanoparticles with peptides by physical assembly, a modular way to tune them. See the Biomacromolecules study.
Updated October 24, 2026
Summary. A team at Tianjin University has reported in Biomacromolecules, published online on 6 October, a modular way to modify lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) after they have been formulated, by coating their surfaces with peptides through physical assembly instead of chemically changing the core lipids. The researchers built a library of modular multifunctional peptides and studied how peptide composition, secondary structure, chirality and concentration shape the way the coating assembles and how the particles perform. In cell experiments the coatings increased cellular uptake, endosomal escape and mRNA translation, and in animal experiments optimised coatings improved mRNA delivery across several different LNP formulations.
Research context (RUO). Lipid nanoparticles are a leading platform for delivering mRNA, but tuning them usually means reformulating the particles or chemically modifying their core components. A peptide layer added after formulation would let researchers adjust surface properties in a modular way and compare designs more quickly. The paper also reports receptor-mediated accumulation in tumour tissue and an IL-12 mRNA experiment in a mouse tumour model; these are preclinical results from animal models, not data from people. The peptides involved are research tools for nanoparticle engineering. As with any new formulation strategy, the findings need independent reproduction across other LNP systems.
