In one of the first studies of its kind, Michael Mitchell, J. Peter and Geri Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation in Bioengineering, and Kelsey Swingle, Ph.D. student in the Mitchell Lab and lead author, have developed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) with the ability to target and deliver mRNA to cells in the placenta.
The researchers’ successful trials in mice show that the technology may potentially lead to promising treatment options for humans with pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication that is a leading cause of stillbirths and prematurity worldwide. The new approach to LNP development for RNA therapies may also have lifechanging applications for other diseases and conditions. Read more here.