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RESEARCH / LITERATURE

Research Literature

Find research, methods, and reviews across our scientific fields.

One collection · Original publication dates · Authors, journals & DOIs

All publications 147

Duplicate DOIs are merged. This is a selected collection, not an exhaustive bibliography.

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Original research
Advanced Science

Optimized Lipid Nanoparticles with Tail‐Modified Ionizable Lipids for Safer mRNA Delivery

Seo‐Hyeon Bae; Jisun Lee; Jae‐Hun Ahn; Hosam Choi; Huijeong Choi; Jungmin Kim; Minho Kang; Ho Rim Oh; So Hyun Park; Eun Young Oh; Sanghyuk Jeon; Yeeun Lee; Yu‐Sun Lee; Na‐Young Lee; Hee‐Jin Bae; Jina Kwak; Jooil Kim; Nakyung Lee; Beomsun Kang; Ji‐Hye Kim; Eunsaem Song; Daesub Song; Hyunho Yoon; Sang‐Myeong Lee; Hyewon Youn; Kiyoun Lee; Byeong‐Cheol Kang; Jae‐Hwan Nam

A library of 56 ionizable lipids combined biodegradable disulfide linkages with different hydrophobic tail lengths and branching patterns. Structure-activity testing linked tail architecture to endosomal escape, translation, and biocompatibility. Optimized particles reduced cytotoxicity and cytokine induction, with immune-response evaluation extending to a nonhuman primate model. These findings support lipid design, rather than establishing human safety.

mRNA / LNP
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1002/advs.76539

Original research
Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Ligand‐Mediated Reprogramming Redirects Liver‐Tropic Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles for Lung‐Selective mRNA Delivery

Zhuxiao Gu; Xinhong Xiong; Xiang Chen; Hanwen Zhang; Ning Gu; Lulu Xue

Starting with a liver-tropic lead from 90 degradable lipidoids, researchers attached small-molecule ligands to redirect delivery toward the lung. The modified particles showed increased vitronectin association and enhanced pulmonary mRNA expression, with genome-editing proof of concept. This modular chemical approach retains the parent scaffold, but its targeting performance remains demonstrated in preclinical experimental conditions.

mRNA / LNP
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1002/anie.6080664

Original research
Nature Communications

Pulmonary mRNA-LNP vaccines for rapid and durable protection against bacterial infection

Anqi Wei; Yu Miao; Zhou Yuan; Guanghui Li; Dexuan Lei; Yinyu Ma; Zhiwei Guo; Yuansong Sun; Tianhao Ding; Kaisong Tian; Qin He; Zui Zhang; Lianfeng Fan; Changyou Zhan; Xiaoli Wei

Researchers designed a pulmonary mRNA-LNP vaccine that combines early innate immune activation with later antigen-specific protection. Intratracheal vaccination primed neutrophils and macrophages and subsequently generated adaptive responses against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including drug-resistant isolates. Single-cell profiling supported a coordinated immune mechanism. The protection experiments were conducted in female mice, rather than patients.

mRNA / LNP
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75413-x

Original research
Communications Biology

Biologically engineered vectors enable topical mRNA delivery for skin regeneration

Julie Gérard; Héloïse Pilet; Charbel Bouez; Xun Du; Yong Chen; Yogeshvar N. Kalia; Pascal Clayette; Bruno A. Bernard; Nicolas Grandchamp

This study developed biologically assembled RNA delivery particles, termed RNA-BEVs, for topical skin applications. The vectors transferred functional mRNA into keratinocytes and reconstructed epidermis, enabling transient protein production. In diabetic rats, wound repair histology improved relative to the tested mRNA-LNP comparator. These biologically engineered vectors are a distinct carrier class, rather than conventional lipid nanoparticles.

mRNA / LNP
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10651-9

Original research
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

mRNA lipid nanoparticle cancer vaccine platform delivering multiple STING activators for enhanced antitumor activity

Ye Zeng; Junchao Xu; Jinjin Wang; Lulu Xue; Jiageng Liu; Hannah C. Geisler; Xu Ma; Jilian R. Melamed; Qiangqiang Shi; Marshall S. Padilla; Zhangyi Luo; Jingcheng Zhu; Ajay S. Thatte; Christian G. Figueroa-Espada; Melgious Jin Yan Ang; Amanda M. Murray; Hannah M. Yamagata; Dongyoon Kim; Ann E. Metzloff; Drew Weissman; Michael J. Mitchell

An ionizable-lipid screening campaign produced an LNP formulation for dendritic-cell mRNA delivery. Researchers coencapsulated tumor-antigen mRNA, cyclic di-AMP, and manganese to coordinate antigen production with STING activation. The combination enhanced antigen presentation, tumor-specific T-cell responses, and antitumor activity in experimental models. It is a preclinical platform, with no demonstrated patient benefit in this report.

mRNA / LNP
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2525718123

Reviews & perspectives
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics

From Classical PKPD to Model-Informed Drug Development: Are “Digital Twins” a New Paradigm?

Brett E Houk

This perspective examines digital-twin claims against established pharmacometric practice. It argues that individual simulation, sequential updating, and decision-focused uncertainty analysis have longstanding roots in PK/PD modeling. The author emphasizes that fundamental limits, including identifiability, remain relevant despite new terminology.

Clinical Pharmacology & Model-Informed Development
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1002/cpt.70340

Original research
Journal of Applied Crystallography

Cryo-EM–microcrystal electron diffraction structural elucidation of cefadroxil: nanocrystallographic and neurotherapeutic insights into a β-lactam antibiotic

Saleem Iqbal; Bairong Shen

The authors reported a cryo-MicroED structure of cefadroxil, characterizing its molecular geometry, stereochemistry, and intermolecular packing. The crystallographic model also supported complementary molecular-dynamics analysis. This is a structural case study of an established beta-lactam antibiotic; the accompanying computational work should not be interpreted as clinical evidence of a new neurotherapeutic benefit or a general performance guarantee.

MicroED structure determinationPharmaceutical solid state
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1107/s1600576726003250

Methods
IUCrJ

High-throughput automated molecular replacement for small-molecule MicroED data

Adam Thibodeaux; Guanhong Bu; Lael C. Edwards; Emma Rova Danelius

An automated molecular-replacement workflow solved the electron-diffraction structure of corilagin, a macrocyclic gallotannin that resisted ab initio phasing. Validation used known paritaprevir and grazoprevir structures across several resolution cutoffs. The results suggest an alternative route for flexible or lower-quality small-molecule datasets, with the important condition that chemically appropriate trial conformations must be available.

MicroED structure determination
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1107/s2052252526002095

Reviews & perspectives
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology

Icotrokinra: An Oral Interleukin-23 Receptor Antagonist Peptide for the Treatment of Psoriasis

César Ferreira; Tiago Torres

This narrative review summarizes icotrokinra, an oral macrocyclic IL-23-receptor antagonist, using literature through December 2025 plus conference, company and trial-registry sources. It reviews Phase 2–3 evidence; it is not a new trial or a current regulatory-status assessment.

Oral cyclic peptides
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1007/s40257-026-01019-0

Methods
Communications Chemistry

An integrated workflow for the structure elucidation of nanocrystalline powders

Chiara Sabena; Federica Bravetti; Natsuki Miyauchi; Miho Nakafukasako; Yoshitaka Aoyama; Katsuo Asakura; Kiyotaka Konuma; Masahiro Hashimoto; Yusuke Nishiyama; Michele R. Chierotti

An integrated workflow combined MicroED with high-resolution mass spectrometry, database searches, solution and solid-state NMR, and computational calculations. Demonstrations used a pyridoxine–N-acetyl-L-cysteine salt and the peptide fMLF. The approach addressed molecular identity, crystal packing, light-atom assignment, and hydrogen positions, illustrating how complementary measurements can resolve ambiguities that electron diffraction alone may leave in nanocrystalline powders.

MicroED structure determination
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1038/s42004-026-01902-1

Original research
Small

Rapid Structural Analysis of Natural Products Using MicroED

Jieye Lin; Orel Paz; Johan Unge; Tamir Gonen

Researchers reported MicroED structures for nine chemically diverse natural products whose three-dimensional structures had remained unavailable. The work used microgram quantities and avoided the need to grow large single crystals. It supports MicroED as a practical route for difficult natural-product samples, although the selected examples do not define a universal success rate across all natural products.

MicroED structure determination
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1002/smll.202511875

Original research
Communications Chemistry

Predicting the ritonavir crisis by revisiting the polymorph landscape with crystal structure prediction and form 4 structure solution

Luca Iuzzolino; Andrew W. Kelly; Mohammad T. Chaudhry; Cristian Jandl; Danny Stam; Alfred Y. Lee

Revisiting ritonavir’s polymorph landscape, the authors examined whether crystal structure prediction could have flagged the risk posed by the less soluble Form 2. They also solved the previously unresolved Form 4 structure using 3D electron diffraction, modeling, and powder X-ray diffraction, finding disorder and thermodynamic instability. The retrospective analysis informs risk assessment rather than guaranteeing future polymorph prediction.

MicroED structure determinationPharmaceutical solid state
Read guide →Original paper ↗

DOI: 10.1038/s42004-025-01814-6

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