CICL 207 is structurally optimized based on Lipid CICL-1. CICL207 is a constrained ionizable cationic lipid designed for lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems developed by Capstan. Its structure features a rigid cyclic backbone (e.g., pyrrolidine-derived core) paired with a tertiary amine group that ionizes at acidic pH (pKa ~6.5–7.0), enhancing endosomal escape. The lipid includes asymmetric hydrophobic tails (likely C14–C18 alkyl/ester chains) to stabilize LNP membranes and improve nucleic acid encapsulation. Integrated into LNPs (e.g., 58% CICL-207, 10% DSPC, 30.5% cholesterol, PEG-lipids), it enables targeted delivery to T cells (anti-CD5/CD8 tLNPs) with high transfection efficiency (spleen T cells >70% mCherry+), reduced liver uptake, and low toxicity (no significant ALT/AST elevation in rats). Its constrained design balances stability, tissue specificity, and biocompatibility for gene therapy applications.CICL 207 (F50) significantly outperforms CICL-1 by delivering dramatically enhanced target cell transfection with reduced off-target effects. It achieves >50% transfection efficiency in splenic T-cells—nearly double that of CICL-1—while slashing off-target expression in liver cells to <5% (versus >15% for CICL-1. This precision translates to superior therapeutic outcomes: CICL-207 enables ~95% B-cell depletion in CAR-T applications, far exceeding CICL-1 ’s ~60% efficacy. Critically, it maintains an exceptional safety profile, showing no significant liver toxicity or inflammatory cytokine elevation even at high doses. Furthermore, CICL-207 demonstrates 2-fold higher transfection efficiency in hematopoietic stem cells, enabling robust gene editing. Its optimized pKa (~6.5) and constrained amine structure enhance endosomal escape while minimizing Kupffer cell uptake, making it ideal for targeted therapeutics requiring both potency and safety.
