Lipid 48 is a leading ionizable lipid designed for therapeutic nucleic acid delivery. Its key function is to form the core of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that efficiently encapsulate and deliver cargoes like mRNA and CRISPR guide RNAs into cells. Its optimized structure allows it to remain neutral in the bloodstream for low toxicity but become positively charged in acidic cellular compartments (endosomes), where it disrupts the membrane to release the therapeutic payload. Data from the patent demonstrates its superior profile: it achieves high gene editing efficiency (e.g., ~80% indel rates in vitro and 16.2% in vivo in mouse liver) while maintaining low cytotoxicity (cell viability >80% at effective doses), establishing it as an ideal candidate for gene therapy applications due to its exceptional balance of potency and safety.
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