Anhydrous Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles for Storage and Handling at Broad Range of Temperatures

Author:

Tran, Allison N

Chandler, Morgan

Halman, Justin

Beasock, Damian

Fessler, Adam

McKeough, Riley Q

Lam, Phuong Anh

Furr, Daniel P

Wang, Jian

Cedrone,Edward

Dobrovolskaia,Marina

Dokholyan, Nikolay V [ORCID]

Trammell, Susan R

Afonin, Kirill A [ORCID]
Author Address

Nanoscale Science Program, Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA., Department of Physics and Optical Science, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA., Department of Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA., Nanotechnology Characterization Lab, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA.,

Abstract:

Recent advances in nanotechnology now allow for the methodical implementation of therapeutic nucleic acids (TNAs) into modular nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) with tunable physicochemical properties which can match the desired biological effects, provide uniformity, and regulate the delivery of multiple TNAs for combinatorial therapy. Despite the potential of novel NANPs, the maintenance of their structural integrity during storage and shipping remains a vital issue that impedes their broader applications. Cold chain storage is required to maintain the potency of NANPs in the liquid phase, which greatly increases transportation costs. To promote long-term storage and retention of biological activities at higher temperatures (e.g., +50 °C), a panel of representative NANPs is first exposed to three different drying mechanisms-vacuum concentration (SpeedVac), lyophilization (Lyo), and light-assisted drying (LAD)-and then rehydrated and analyzed. While SpeedVac primarily operates using heat, Lyo avoids temperature increases by taking advantage of pressure reduction and LAD involves a near-infrared laser for uniform drying in the presence of trehalose. This work compares and defines refinements crucial in formulating an optimal strategy for producing stable, fully functional NANPs and presents a forward advancement in their development for clinical applications. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.

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