Peptide-Functionalized Lipid Nanoparticles for Targeted Systemic mRNA Delivery to the Brain

Introduction: Delivering large therapeutic molecules such as mRNA to the brain remains challenging due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents most molecules in circulation from entering the brain. One approach to deliver mRNA across the BBB is through a nanoparticle functionalized with targeting ligands. Peptides are a promising class of ligand as they have reduced immunogenicity, smaller size, and lower production costs compared to proteins and antibodies. Here, we design a library of peptide-functionalized lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for systemic mRNA delivery to the brain (1).