RNA-Lnp-Mediated CAR-T Cell Manufacturing: A Paradigm Shift in Precision Immunotherapy

The landscape of cancer treatment is being revolutionized by the advent of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapies, which harness the power of the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells. Despite their remarkable therapeutic potential, the production of CAR-T cells remains a complex and personalized process, fraught with challenges such as genetic modification risks, manufacturing inefficiencies, and the need for scalable solutions. This study introduces a novel RNA-lipid nanoparticle (RNA-LNP) technology for the efficient and safe delivery of therapeutic RNAs, including messenger RNA (mRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), and self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), into T cells, thereby enhancing the manufacturing process of CAR-T cells.

Our methodology involves the generation of RNA-LNPs through a precisely controlled process, ensuring uniform particle size and RNA encapsulation efficiency. The RNA-LNPs are then complexed with the therapeutic RNAs and administered to T cells. The RNA-LNP technology offers several advantages over traditional CAR-T cell manufacturing methods, including the avoidance of genomic integration, reduced immunogenicity, and the flexibility to modulate the expression levels of therapeutic proteins. The RNA-LNP system is designed to encapsulate and protect the fragile RNA molecules, facilitating their delivery into T cells with high efficiency. The encapsulated mRNA enables rapid and transient expression of the CAR protein, circumventing the need for permanent genetic alteration. This approach significantly reduces the risk of off-target effects and potential genotoxicity associated with viral vector-based gene therapies. Furthermore, the inclusion of circRNA in the RNA-LNP formulation provides a stable and enduring source of CAR transcripts with reduced immunogenicity, potentially extending the therapeutic window and safety of the treatment. To augment the functionality of the engineered CAR-T cells, saRNA is employed to further expand the existence period of CAR transcripts and therapeutic window by its self-amplifying capability. In this study, we compared the CAR expression and functional CAR-T cells among different types of RNA.

The RNA-LNP-mediated delivery of therapeutic RNAs represents a paradigm shift in the field of CAR-T cell therapy. It simplifies the manufacturing process, enhances the safety profile of the treatment, and provides a versatile platform for the development of next-generation cell-based immunotherapies. Our findings pave the way for a more accessible, efficient, and personalized approach to cancer treatment, offering renewed hope to patients and clinicians alike.