Does a 10 nm difference in LNP size affect its drug delivery effectiveness ?

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) size significantly influences their effectiveness in drug delivery, affecting stability, encapsulation efficiency, drug release profiles, biodistribution, and cellular uptake. Typically, LNPs range from 20 to 200 nm in size, and variations within this range can affect their properties and behavior substantially. Other factors, such as surface charge, lipid composition, and the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) lipids, can also influence LNP effectiveness. For instance, the inclusion of even a small amount (<1%) of PEG can lead to a significant reduction in nanoparticle size, impacting delivery efficiency. LNPs in the size range of 40 to 80 nm were considerably more potent than larger particles containing si-RNA. Precise size control of LNPs production using microfluidic devices with tuning at 10 nm intervals between 20 to 100 nm has now been achieved and accurate size determination with for LNPs in much lower range is now more essential than ever for high precision LNP production. LNP size has also been classified as a critical quality attribute (CQA) by regulatory agencies due to its impact on consistent performance and safety. With a wide range of technologies and techniques now available, a key challenge is determining which measurement method offers the highest accuracy. This is indeed a challenging task due to a lack of standardized reference materials complicates cross-method comparisons between these techniques and each technique also has inherent limitations. Our white paper systemically organizes available information and help you navigate these complexities so that you can generate reliable data with confidence.