Size-Controllable and Monodispersed Lipid Nanoparticle Production with High mRNA Delivery Efficiency Using 3D-Printed Ring Micromixers

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are gaining recognition as potentially effective carriers for delivery of therapeutic agents, including nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Much effort has been devoted to the implementation of microfluidic techniques for the production of monodisperse and stable LNPs and the improvement of encapsulation efficiency. Here, we developed three-dimensional (3D)-printed ring micromixers for the production of size-controllable and monodispersed LNPs with a high mRNA delivery efficiency. The effects of flow rate and ring shape asymmetry on the mixing performance were initially examined. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties (such as hydrodynamic diameter, polydispersity, and encapsulation efficiency) of the generated LNPs were quantified as a function of these physical parameters via biochemical analysis and cryo-electron microscopy imaging. With a high production rate of 68 mL/min, our 3D-printed ring micromixers can be used to manufacture LNPs with diameters less than 90 nm, low polydispersity (<0.2), and high mRNA encapsulation efficiency (>91%). Despite the simplicity of the ring-shaped mixer structure, we can produce mRNA-loaded LNPs with exceptional quality and high throughput, outperforming costly commercial micromixers.

drug delivery; lipid nanoparticles; micromixer; nucleic acids; three-dimensional (3D)-printing.