Lipids for Lung Delivery

Lipid-392 is a hydrazide-linked ionizable lipid with three tertiary amines, three palmitoyl-containing branches and a hydroxyl-bearing C10 arm. It is the carrier lipid in an optimized, cholesterol-free simplified targeted lipid nanoparticle (stLNP) containing Lipid-392, POPE and DMG-PEG2000 at 90:8.5:1.5 mol%. In mice, this formulation produced 4.93-fold greater lung luciferase expression than DOTAP-5-LNP at 0.25 mg/kg intravenous mRNA dosing, with approximately 99% of the measured lung/liver/spleen expression signal in the lung. The study also demonstrated lung-cell Cre reporter activation, adenine base editing, siRNA-mediated gene silencing and IL-10 mRNA delivery in an acute lung injury model. These preclinical results support evaluation for pulmonary RNA delivery; activity depends on formulation, payload and experimental conditions.

CQ-12 (CQ12) is a chloroquine-derived, autophagy-inhibitory lipidoid containing a 7-chloroquinoline headgroup and a hydroxyl-bearing C12 lipid chain. It was selected from the CQ6–CQ18 series for incorporation into autolysosomal degradation-inhibitory lipid nanoparticles (AUDI-LNPs). Replacing 30% of the SM-102 molar fraction with CQ-12 produced a five-component formulation containing 15 mol% CQ-12 and increased luciferase expression approximately 5.3-fold in HEK293T cells under the reported conditions. The study also evaluated CQ-12-substituted MC3 and ALC-0315 formulations, subcutaneous and intravenous mRNA delivery, and local intratracheal delivery. IL-10 and TGF-β mRNA formulations were investigated in mouse models of psoriasis and acute lung injury, respectively. CQ-12 supports research into autophagy-modulating LNPs and cytokine mRNA delivery.

LC-1 (LC-lipid-1) is an ionizable lipid identified by screening a 384-member Ugi-reaction library with a large, 5.7-kb ABE–NanoLuc mRNA cargo. The cited study evaluated LC-1 lipid nanoparticles for delivery of Cas9 and base-editing cargos to the liver, brain and lung in mice, using different formulations and administration routes.

Lipid SG5 is a dual-amine ionizable lipid developed for systemic, lung-selective mRNA delivery. Its two tertiary amines and two C16 β-hydroxy tails support stepwise protonation in the reported fSG5 LNP system. The cited preclinical study evaluated pulmonary luciferase expression, functional Cre mRNA delivery and Nrf2 mRNA delivery in an acute lung-injury model.

The LUMI-6 lipid, autonomously designed via the LUMI-lab platform, is a brominated ionizable lipid optimized for mRNA delivery. Formulated at a molar ratio of 35:28:34.5:2 (LUMI-6:DOTAP:cholesterol:C14-PEG2000), LNPs exhibit uniform physicochemical properties, including a hydrodynamic diameter of ~80 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) <0.2, and robust mRNA encapsulation efficiency. In vitro, LUMI-6 LNPs demonstrated 1.8-fold higher transfection potency in human bronchial epithelial cells compared to its debrominated counterpart (LUMI-6D), with minimal cytotoxicity confirmed by CCK-8 assays. In vivo, pulmonary delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 mRNA via LUMI-6 LNPs achieved ​20.3% gene editing efficiency in murine lung epithelial cells, surpassing SM-102 (Moderna’s clinical benchmark) and demonstrating ​preferential tropism for lung epithelium over endothelial cells—critical for inhaled therapies targeting cystic fibrosis and surfactant disorders. The brominated tail enhances endosomal escape through optimized protonation dynamics, though explicit pKa values remain unmeasured. Synthesized via high-throughput combinatorial chemistry and refined through AI-driven active learning, LUMI-6 combines scalable production with organ-selective delivery, positioning it as a transformative platform for pulmonary nucleic acid therapeutics.

6Ac1-C12 is an ionizable cationic lipid with a hexaester degradable core and six C12 hydrophobic alkyl tails, featuring a pKa around 6.0 and strong endosomal escape capacity. Its four-component LNPs deliver mRNA mainly to liver endothelial cells after IV injection and remain stable for 30 days at 4°C. Formulated without cholesterol, its three-component system enables lung-targeted delivery with low in vivo toxicity, and the ester core facilitates biodegradation for versatile mRNA applications.

D-Lin-MC3-DMA(MC3) is the most potent cationic lipid that has been synthesized for Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver the siRNA.

DODMA, also known as MBN 305A is a a cationic lipid containing the unsaturated long-chain (18:1) oleic acid inserted at both the sn-1 and sn-2 positions. It has been used in the composition of lipospomes formulated as stable nucleic acid lipid particles that can encapsulate siRNA or other small molecules to be used for drug delivery

DOTAP, also known as 1,2-Dioleoyl-3-trimethylammoniumpropane, is a cationic liposome-forming compound used for transfection of DNA, RNA, and other negatively charged molecules into eukaryotic cells. It has been used in gene delivery vectors for gene ther

ALC-0315 is an ionisable aminolipid that used for mRNA compaction and aids mRNA cellular delivery. ALC-0315 can be used to form lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery vehicles.

CKK-E12 is a ionizable lipid in combination with other lipids make up the lipid nanoparticles which are used to deliver RNA-based therapeutics. cKK-E12 was highly selective toward liver parenchymal cell in vivo.Multitail lipids usually have three or more tails and tend to form more cone-shaped structures due to the increase of tail crosssection, which enhances the endosome escape and mRNA delivery efficiency.CKK-E12 is an ionizable lipid with four lipid tails and diketopiperazine core-based head. It has shown excellent efficiency in delivering CRISPR-Cas9 mRNA and sgRNA.cKK-E12 iLNPs encapsulated mRNA was used to investigate the effect of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on iLNPsmediated mRNA delivery, and it has been demonstrated that the targeting, safety and efficacy of iLNPs are closely related to disease state. In other words, even though iLNP delivers therapeutic mRNA to a given cell type in one disease state, it is not guaranteed to deliver mRNA to the same cell type in another disease. As same as MC3 and C12-200, CKK-E12 is also used to be a positive control ionizable lipid when exploiting new ionizable lipids.

5A2-SC8 is a dendrimer for miRNA delivery to late-stage liver tumors with low hepatotoxicity. 5A2-SC8 shows potent EC50 < 0.02 mg/kg (siRNA against FVII (siFVII)) in dose-response experiments, and well tolerated in separate toxicity studies in chronically ill mice bearing MYC-driven tumors. 5A2-SC8 is a degradable lipid-like compound (ester-based dendrimer) for small RNAs delivery.5A2-SC8, was obtained by screening a large library of more than 1500 ester-based dendrimers containing ionizable amino groups, which have three tertiary amine heads and five lipid tails. Based on this library, the in vitro transfection efficiency of different formulations of 5A2-SC8 iLNPs was evaluated, discovering the optimal formulation (5A2-SC8, DOPE, cholesterol, PEG at a molar ratio of 15:15:30:3) of 5A2-SC8 iLNPs for delivering fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) mRNA to liver.After the intravenous injection via tail, the model mice of hepatorenal tyrosinemia type I had strong FAH protein expression, which prevented body weight loss and increased the survival rate of hepatorenal tyrosinemia mice . In addition to introducing utility of 5A2-SC8 iLNPs for the therapeutic intervention, the 5A2-SC8 iLNPs containing DOTAP have been used to establish complex mouse models via intravenous injection, including in situ liverspecific cancer model and in situ lung-specific cancer model. Based on this iLNPs delivery system, 5A2-SC8 induced model construction method overcomes the time-consuming and costly disadvantages of traditional animal models establishing methods, including transgenesis and gene engineering in embryonic stem cells.

SM-102 is an ionizable amino lipid that has been used in combination with other lipids in the formation of lipid nanoparticles.Administration of luciferase mRNA in SM-102-containing lipid nanoparticles induces hepatic luciferase expression in mice. Formulations containing SM-102 have been used in the development of lipid nanoparticles for delivery of mRNA-based vaccines.

C12-200 is a well-known cationic lipid used in the formulation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids, including siRNA, mRNA, and CRISPR components. It is widely recognized for its high in vivo potency at low doses and is often used as a positive control ionizable lipid in research exploring new ionizable lipids.

N-[1-(2,3-Dioleyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium (DOTMA) is a cationic lipid.It has been used as a component in liposomes that can be used to encapsulate siRNA, microRNAs, and oligonucleotides and for gene transfection in vitro.

DDAB is listed as a ionizable lipid for laboratory research use.

Lipid 331 is a biodegradable cyclic ionizable lipid. LNPs containing Lipid 331 result in robust transfection in the nasal and lung tissues of mice and efficient transfection of lung epithelial cells and lung-resident APCs. Lipid 331 is a promising candidate for mRNA vaccine delivery, offering the potential for further enhancing the potency of mRNA vaccines.

514O6,10 is an ionizable lipidoid. 514O6,10 formulated LNPs facilitate mRNA delivery to the pancreas.

Lipid 119-23 is an ionizable lipid for mRNA delivery. 119-23 LNP exhibits an enhanced capability to express functional mCre in several categories of immune cells, spanning the liver, spleen and lung.

Acid-degradable Cationic Lipid (ADC) composed of cationic lipid is synthesized with the azido-acetal linker and used to generate RD-LNPs, which significantly improves the performance of LNP-mRNA complexes in vitro and in vivo.

Si5-N14 is a lipid-based molecule engineered with siloxane groups, designed specifically for efficient mRNA delivery to the lungs. The incorporation of siloxane units boosts the cellular uptake of mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and enhances their ability to escape from endosomes. These properties significantly increase the overall effectiveness of mRNA delivery, making Si5-N14 a promising tool for targeted therapeutic applications.

AO12 is a novel antioxidant ionizable lipid derived from SM-102 skeleton with para-hydroxyphenyl propionic acid side chains. Integrated into LNPs, it efficiently scavenges diverse reactive oxygen species including ·OH and ONOO⁻, shielding encapsulated mRNA from oxidative degradation. It retains fine LNP formulation features and cellular uptake capacity of conventional lipids, boosting in vivo mRNA translation. Applied for regenerative mRNA therapy and CRISPR gene editing against fibrosis and inflammatory disorders.

RCB-4-8​​ is a biodegradable ionizable lipid nanoparticle (LNP) engineered for efficient pulmonary mRNA delivery and in vivo genome editing, as detailed in the primary research article ​​"Combinatorial design of nanoparticles for pulmonary mRNA delivery and genome editing"​​ (Li et al., Nature Biotechnology 2023）. Synthesized from a combinatorial library of 720 biodegradable lipids via a three-component reaction system, RCB-4-8 features an alkyne-containing lipid tail and tertiary amine headgroup, optimized through high-throughput screening for superior lung-targeting capabilities. Its unique molecular design incorporates hydrolyzable ester and carbonate groups, enabling rapid biodegradation (<30% lung retention at 48 h vs. >90% for conventional lipids) while maintaining high transfection efficiency. When formulated with DOTAP instead of DOPE, RCB-4-8 LNPs achieved ​​100-fold higher luciferase mRNA expression​​ in murine lungs compared to FDA-approved MC3 LNPs and mediated ​​95% GFP knockout​​ in vitro. In Ai9 reporter mice, intratracheal delivery of RCB-4-8 loaded with Cre mRNA edited ​​53% of total lung cells​​ after three doses, while codelivery with Cas9 mRNA/sgRNA yielded ​​7.2% tdTomato+ cells​​, rising to ​​17%​​ when combined with AAV-sgRNAs. With an optimal particle size of ​​85.7 nm​​ (PDI 0.11) and ​​>87% mRNA encapsulation​​, RCB-4-8 supports repeat dosing and represents a transformative platform for inhalable gene therapies targeting congenital lung diseases like cystic fibrosis.

IAJD-34 is a one-component ionizable amphiphilic Janus dendrimer specifically engineered for targeted mRNA delivery to the lung parenchyma, as described by Meshanni et al. in Nature Communications article "Targeted delivery of TGF-β mRNA to murine lung parenchyma using one-component ionizable amphiphilic Janus Dendrimers" . This synthetic nanoparticle self-assembles with mRNA through simple mixing in acetate buffer, forming stable dendrimersomes approximately 93-97 nm in size with high encapsulation efficiency (>95%) and a positive zeta potential (~48 mV). Its defining feature, highlighted in the study, is exceptional lung tropism after intravenous injection, enabling significantly higher luciferase expression in murine lungs compared to other organs. As demonstrated by Meshanni et al., IAJD 34 effectively delivers therapeutic mRNA (e.g., TGF-β mRNA) to the lower lung, inducing transient protein production with minimal systemic toxicity at appropriate doses (e.g., 10 µg), offering a promising strategy for treating parenchymal lung diseases.

TG4C is an ionizable cationic lipid (pKa 6.71) optimized for mRNA delivery via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). When formulated into LNPs carrying human EPO mRNA, it significantly elevates serum EPO levels in mice. Furthermore, aerosolized TG4C-based LNPs containing HGF mRNA demonstrate therapeutic potential in pulmonary emphysema models, showing reduced inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after elastase-induced lung injury.

Imidazole cholesterol ester (ICE) is a sterol‑based ionizable cationic lipid invented by Translate‑Bio (WO2018/089790 A1) for mRNA‑loaded lipid‑nanoparticle (LNP) pulmonary delivery. It fuses an imidazole pH‑responsive headgroup with cholesterol via ester linkage. Typically formulated as a three‑component LNP (ICE : DOPE : DMG‑PEG2K = 60 : 35 : 5 mol ratio), ICE‑LNPs achieve high mRNA encapsulation (>80‑90 %), good nebulization stability and low toxicity. Upon cellular uptake, imidazole mediates endosomal escape; the ester bond degrades to yield cholesterol, conferring favorable biocompatibility. Animal studies demonstrate robust CFTR protein expression in bronchial and alveolar lung tissue after inhalation, making ICE promising for cystic‑fibrosis mRNA therapy.

1A7B13 is a top-performing "tripod-like" lung-targeting (LuT) lipid. It forms lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that, after intravenous injection, deliver genetic medicines (like mRNA and CRISPR-Cas9) to the lungs with over 90% selectivity, particularly favoring epithelial cells. Compared to the benchmark DOTAP LNPs, 1A7B13 LNPs achieve a 25.5-fold increase in mRNA delivery and a 9.2-fold improvement in gene-editing efficiency within the lungs. Its therapeutic potential was demonstrated by successfully delivering IL-10 mRNA to treat acute lung injury in mice.

DORI, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3-bis(oleoyloxy)propan-1-aminium bromide, is an ionizable cationic lipid with lower cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency. Reagent grade, for research use only.

4A3-SC7​​ is a proprietary, ionizable lipid component central to the SORT LNP platform developed for targeted organ delivery. It features a unique ​​branched-tail structure​​ designed to enhance mRNA encapsulation and endosomal escape. In the study, it served as the ​​primary ionizable lipid​​ in both Liver SORT LNPs and updated Lung SORT LNPs. For liver targeting, it was formulated at ​​15.04 mol%​​ alongside helper lipids (DOPE: 23.04%, Cholesterol: 38.72%), PEG-lipid (DMG-PEG2000: 3.2%), and the liver-targeting lipid ​​4A3-Cit (20 mol%)​​. This specific composition (Total lipid:RNA = 20:1 wt/wt) yielded LNPs with ​​~74 nm size​​, ​​low PDI (0.17)​​, and ​​high encapsulation efficiency (87%)​​ for large mRNAs like ABE editors (~5000 nt). Its branched-tail architecture was critical for stabilizing nanoparticles encapsulating large RNAs, overcoming a key limitation of previous formulations. 4A3-SC7-based Liver SORT LNPs enabled ​​>40% base editing in hepatocytes​​ in vivo, achieving durable correction of the disease-causing SERPINA1 mutation in PiZ mice and significantly reducing pathological protein aggregates. In the updated DualSORT system, 4A3-SC7 was also paired with ​​DORI​​ (instead of DOTAP) for improved lung targeting, demonstrating its versatility as a foundational ionizable lipid for multi-organ gene editing therapeutics.

306-N16B is a lipidnanoparticle, and allows systemic codelivery of Cas9 mRNA and sgRNA. 306-N16B can transport mRNA to the pulmonaryendothelial cell. 306-N16B can be used for research of genome editing-based therapies. Based on the same lipid libraries with 306-O12B, the researchers also found that N-series ionizable lipids were able to selectively deliver mRNA to the lungs of mice. Compared with the liver-targeted O-series ionizable lipids which contained ester bond in lipid tail found in previous work, such as 306-O12B, the N-series ionizable lipids with the lipid tail containing amide bond prefer to deliver mRNA to the lung. As a N-series ionizable lipid, the chemical structure of the 306-N16B is shown in Figure 4a,b. The difference of organ targeting may be due to their adsorption of different protein coronas during blood circulation caused by their different structures mentioned earlier.It has shown that the second major protein of the protein corona adsorbed by liver-targeting 306-O12B iLNPs was apolipoprotein E (ApoE), while the three dominant proteins in the protein corona adsorbed by lung-targeting 306-N16B iLNPs were serum albumin, fibrinogen beta chain, and fibrinogen gamma chain. However, the 306-N16B iLNPs showed less organ selectivity when systematically codelivered Cas9 mRNA and sgRNA in vivo, which could simultaneously activate tdTomato expression in the liver and lung of Ai14 mice, whereas single mRNA delivery could almost exclusively deliver mRNA to the lungs. This surprising phenomenon requires further investigation. Both the change of iLNPs charge and the change of lipids functional group can influence the distribution of iLNPs in vivo due to the altering of protein corona composition. Therefore, it is possible to control the organ targeting of iLNPs by controlling the composition of the outer protein corona of iLNPs.

CHCha-10 is an amino acid-derived ionizable lipid engineered for pulmonary gene therapy. Its optimal surface charge (-0.126 mV) enables efficient mucus penetration, while a pKa of ~7.0 facilitates endosomal escape. Its unique conical structure promotes membrane fusion and mRNA release. In animal models, CHCha-10-based LNPs achieved highly efficient and specific editing of lung epithelial cells, particularly stem-like basal cells (~44%), with effects persisting through tissue renewal. It also demonstrated excellent efficacy and safety in ferrets, a model closely mimicking human lung physiology.

Lipid 29d is an ionizable lipid containing a thiophene moiety (Thio-lipid) for mRNA delivery. Lipid 29d enables LNPs to transfect the lung and spleen.

FO-32 is an artificial intelligence-guided designed ionizable lipid for RNA delivery to the muscle, lung and nose. FO-32 LNPs enable potent transfection throughout the whole ferret lung epithelium, from trachea to alveoli.

FO35 is an artificial intelligence-guided designed ionizable lipid for RNA delivery to the muscle, lung and nose. FO-35 LNPs enable potent transfection throughout the whole ferret lung epithelium, from trachea to alveoli.

TTP-3 is an asymmetric Ugi-derived ionizable lipid developed specifically for pulmonary delivery of structured suppressor tRNA cargo. Its architecture combines a dimethylaminopropyl ionizable headgroup, two amide-containing linkages, and chemically distinct hydrophobic tails. Selected from a 1,000-member lipid library, TTP-3 showed the strongest suppressor-tRNA delivery in a cystic-fibrosis-relevant air–liquid interface model containing artificial mucus. An optimized formulation containing TTP-3, DOPE, β-sitosterol, and C14-PEG2000 produced approximately 38-fold higher functional pulmonary reporter expression than MC3 following intratracheal administration in mice. TTP-3 LNPs preferentially delivered tRNA to airway epithelial cells, including ciliated, club, ionocyte, and basal progenitor populations. When combined with chemically modified suppressor tRNAs, the platform restored CFTR expression and function in cellular, mouse, and patient-derived organoid models. TTP-3 remains a preclinical research lipid, and further optimization is required for aerosol delivery, repeat dosing, and clinical translation.

IM21.7c is listed as a ionizable lipid for laboratory research use.

TS41 is a trisulfide-derived ionizable lipid engineered for lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver mRNA therapeutics against multidrug-resistant bacterial pneumonia. Its optimized formulation, TS41S LNP, combines TS41 with helper lipids (e.g., DOPE, cholesterol) at a precise ratio, achieving a hydrodynamic diameter of ~105 nm, low polydispersity, and high mRNA encapsulation efficiency (~84%). This design enables efficient pulmonary delivery via intratracheal administration, with luminescence signals in lungs 4.8-fold higher than clinical benchmarks like SM-102 LNPs, ensuring targeted expression in epithelial cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. Crucially, TS41 LNPs exhibit potent anti-inflammatory properties by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), reducing neutrophil infiltration and proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α) in infected lungs. In preclinical models, TS41S LNP encoding PB9 peptibody mRNA eradicated pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, improved survival rates to 80%, and minimized tissue damage without systemic toxicity. Its ROS-scavenging capability synergizes with antibacterial effects, offering a promising, translatable platform for combating resistant infections while controlling inflammation. Future enhancements, such as codon optimization or inhalation delivery, could further broaden its therapeutic potential.

Lipid 5 is an ionizable lipid based on a macrocyclic cyclam headgroup. Its structure incorporates a benzylmethyl carbonate (BMC) linker, which contains an aromatic benzene ring, and a saturated C18 hydrophobic tail. Lipid 5 was mixed with helper lipids at a fixed molar ratio and formulated into mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) using microfluidic technology. Characterization data show that these LNPs have a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 50-80 nanometers and a polydispersity index (PDI) below 0.2, indicating a small particle size with a uniform distribution. Their zeta potential at physiological pH is near neutral (ranging from -3 to +3 mV). The mRNA encapsulation efficiency, as determined by the Ribogreen assay, exceeds 95%. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy images reveal that the LNPs exhibit a typical spherical bilayer structure. In in vitro experiments, Lipid 5 LNPs mediated a higher level of luciferase protein expression in HEK293FT cells compared to the benchmark lipid DLin-MC3-DMA. In Balb/c mice, intravenous injection of LNPs encapsulating luciferase mRNA resulted in in vivo imaging signals predominantly concentrated in the lungs. Quantitative analysis indicated that the signal intensity in the lungs was over 100 times greater than that in the liver, with more than 95% of the total signal distributed in the lungs. In Ai9 reporter gene mice, two intravenous injections of Lipid 5 LNPs encapsulating Cre mRNA led to quantitative analysis of lung tissue sections showing that approximately 30% of lung cells were positive for tdTomato signal.

A1T2C3 （CP-LC-1067） is a highly potent ionizable lipid designed for lung-targeted mRNA delivery. When formulated into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), it produces particles approximately 80 nm in size with excellent uniformity and a high mRNA encapsulation efficiency (>94%). Its most distinguished feature is its exceptional organ selectivity. Following intravenous administration in mice, A1T2C3-based LNPs demonstrated a remarkable accumulation of over 94% of the signal in the lungs, with minimal distribution to other major organs. This makes it a leading candidate for developing therapeutics specifically targeted to pulmonary tissues.

G9-1 is a nitric oxide (NO)-inhibitory ionizable lipid designed for anti-inflammatory mRNA delivery. Derived from the potent NO inhibitor G9, it retains the ability to suppress macrophage-driven inflammation while enabling efficient mRNA encapsulation and lung-targeted delivery. In a murine acute lung injury model, G9-1 lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) loaded with IL-10 mRNA demonstrated synergistic therapeutic effects by reducing inflammatory cell infiltration, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and improving systemic tissue injury markers. With its intrinsic immunomodulatory activity and preferential targeting of lung-resident cells, G9-1 represents a promising platform for safer and more effective mRNA therapeutics in inflammatory disorders.

HGT5001, disclosed in patent US 2026/0125339 A1 by Translate Bio (now part of Sanofi), is a potent ionizable cationic lipid optimized for mRNA delivery, exhibiting versatile organ tropism governed by the route of administration. When delivered via intratracheal or pulmonary administration, it effectively crosses the mucosal barrier to achieve high transfection efficiency specifically within lung tissues. Conversely, intravenous injection redirects its tropism to the liver and spleen via endogenous ApoE mediation, facilitating systemic protein replacement therapies. Engineered with an optimized headgroup, HGT5001 ensures excellent encapsulation, rapid pH-responsive endosomal escape, and superior biocompatibility with minimal systemic toxicity, making it an exceptional candidate for cystic fibrosis therapies and hepatic treatments.

Q1-SM-102 iodide is a quaternary ammonium lipid derivative of SM-102. Q1-SM-102 iodide can be used to prepare lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the delivery of mRNA in vivo. Q1-SM-102 iodide is a carriers for targeting delivery of mRNA to immune organs.

CY7 is an ionizable lipid engineered for localized pulmonary mRNA delivery. Its structure combines a cyclohexane-based core, a 4-dimethylaminopiperidine ionizable headgroup, two ester linkers, and four extended hydrophobic branches. In LNPs formulated with cholesterol, DSPC, and DMG-PEG, CY7 produced substantially higher local luciferase expression and lung-to-liver selectivity than SM-102 following intratracheal administration. CY7 LNPs also enhanced functional mRNA expression in pulmonary neutrophils, endothelial and epithelial cells, as well as dendritic and B cells in lung-draining lymph nodes. When used to deliver PcrV and OprF-I mRNAs, pulmonary CY7 LNP vaccination generated rapid antigen-independent innate protection followed by durable antigen-specific humoral, mucosal, and cellular immunity. In mouse models, it reduced bacterial burden and improved survival following challenge with laboratory and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CY7 remains a preclinical research lipid requiring further pharmacokinetic, repeat-dose, and translational safety evaluation.

E20 is a charge-switching ionizable lipid developed for efficient nucleic acid delivery with reduced inflammatory toxicity. Its carboxylic acid–tertiary amine headgroup changes charge between acidic formulation conditions and physiological pH, while two hydroxylated spacers and branched 8×6 hydrophobic tails support nucleic acid encapsulation and cytosolic delivery. E20 nanoparticles generated approximately 600 mU/mL serum hEPO after intravenous mRNA administration in mice. Unlike multiple benchmark LNPs, E20 did not exacerbate cytokine production in LPS-pretreated mice or human PBMCs. E20 also enabled sustained pDNA expression without the acute lethality observed with MC3-LNPs and improved IL-22 mRNA treatment in a mouse model of acute lung injury.

EDMPC, a cationic lipid, has an enhanced ability to deliver DNA to pulmonary tissues. EDMPC mediates intralobar DNA delivery to rodents.

IR-117-17 (A10-LIN) is an ionizable and biodegradable lipid specifically designed for nebulized mRNA delivery. When formulated into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), IR-117-17 demonstrates remarkable efficacy, achieving a 300-fold enhancement in lung mRNA delivery compared to the best-performing LNP previously reported. Additionally, it shows a two-fold improvement over the leading PBAE-based delivery system, with up to a 45-fold increase in mRNA delivery efficiency to the large airways.

GL67 (N4-Spermine cholesteryl carbamate) in its pentahydrochloride form is a cationic lipid with versatile applications in the delivery of nucleic acid agents, vaccines, and gene transfection, owing to its efficient encapsulation and transport capabilities.GL67 (N4-Spermine cholesteryl carbamate) in its pentahydrochloride form is a cationic lipid with versatile applications in the delivery of nucleic acid agents, vaccines, and gene transfection, owing to its efficient encapsulation and transport capabilities.

DMRIE is a cationic lipid, suitable for transfecting DNA and RNA into eukaryotic cells, and is particularly effective for transfecting suspension cells (e.g., Jurkat) and other lymphoid-derived cell lines.

BGTC is listed as a ionizable lipid for laboratory research use.

DC-6-14 is a cationic lipid that can be used for drug delivery, gene transfection and vaccine delivery. DC-6-14 may be used for research into in vitro and in vivo nucleic acid and protein delivery. Reagent grade, for research use only.

244cis is listed as a ionizable lipid for laboratory research use.

IR-19-Py(A20-0l) is listed as a ionizable lipid for laboratory research use.

Lipid CAD9 (3-A2-7b is a cationic degradable (CAD) lipid. 3-A2-7b formulated LNP, LNP-CAD9, can deliver FLuc mRNA to the lungs in vivo. LNP-CAD9 co-delivering Cas9 mRNA/VEGFR2 single guide RNA (sgRNA) effectively induces VEGFR2 knock out in lung endothelial cells of female mice.

12T-O14 is a amidine-incorporated degradable (AID) lipid for versatile mRNA delivery. 12T-O14-LNPs mediate efficient intramuscular delivery of mRNA vaccines and systemic delivery of mRNA therapeutics without noticeable toxicity. 12T-O14 serves as a superior supplementary lipid to redirect liver-tropic LNPs to selectively target the lung or spleen via simple adjustment of the formulation.

(+)CP-LC-0729 is an cationic lipid derived from CP-LC-0729 and achieves significantly higher expression and selectivity highlights the advantages of this lipid system for lung-targeted delivery.

A3T2C7 (CP-LC-1495) is a biodegradable ionizable lipid featuring three β-propionate linkers and an azetidine polar head, formulated in four-component LNPs. It demonstrates exceptional lung-targeted mRNA delivery with 97.1% selectivity and high protein expression (1.21×10⁸ p/s) in mice. Its slightly positive zeta potential (~3.5 mV) correlates with lung tropism, likely mediated by protein corona enrichment of vitronectin and prothrombin. The β-propionate structure enables pH-sensitive biodegradability for enhanced endosomal escape while maintaining low cytotoxicity (>90% cell viability). This lipid enables organ-specific mRNA delivery without permanently charged additives, outperforming conventional SORT strategies in selectivity and expression efficiency.

G0-C14 is listed as a ionizable lipid for laboratory research use.

9A1P9 is a multi-tail ionizable cationic phospholipid. 9A1P9 induces membrane destabilization. 9A1P9 can be used for CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in mice.

Lipid CP-LC-0729, an ionizable cationic amino lipid synthesized from homocysteine—a naturally occurring amino acid—has been shown to exhibit superior efficacy in the delivery and subsequent protein expression of various RNA modalities, including messenger RNA (mRNA), circular RNA (cRNA), and self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) in vivo. Importantly, CP-LC-0729 demonstrates an exemplary safety profile, with no observable toxicological effects in preclinical studies. Comparative analyses reveal that CP-LC-0729 significantly surpasses MC3, a widely utilized benchmark lipid nanoparticle formulation, in terms of protein expression efficiency. Specifically, CP-LC-0729 achieves a striking 32-fold enhancement in protein expression within lung tissue relative to MC3, underscoring its pronounced tissue selectivity and targeting efficacy for pulmonary applications. These findings suggest that CP-LC-0729 represents a highly promising candidate for the development of RNA-based therapeutics, particularly in the context of lung-targeted delivery systems, where its combination of high efficiency and low toxicity offers significant translational potential.

113-N16B is an ionizable cationic lipid used for the generation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). 113-N16B delivers mRNA preferentially to pulmonary endothelial cells.

4-O10b1 is an ionizable lipid used to generate lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for delivering RNA to cells. LNPs comprised of 4-O10b1 and conjugated with the macrophage antibody F4/80 were able to delivery siRNA targeting TAK1 to RAW264.7 cells resulting in suppressed activation of NF-kB. Intranasal administration reduced lung injury in an influenza mouse model.

Lipid 35 is an novel ionizable lipid designed to enhance the delivery of mRNA to specific tissues, particularly the lungs.Lipid 35 demonstrates superior chemical stability, especially in storage conditions. This stability ensures that the lipid maintains its integrity over extended periods, making it ideal for long-term storage and large-scale production.Lipid 35 exhibits high transfection efficiency in various cell types, including nonimmune cells, endothelial cells, and epithelial cells. Lipid 35 has demonstrated excellent biocompatibility and safety in preclinical studies. It does not cause significant liver damage or adverse immune responses, making it a safer alternative for therapeutic applications.

9C-SCC-10 is a biodegradable ionizable lipid with a nine-membered triaza crown-like headgroup and three disulfide-containing hydrophobic arms. In the cited mouse study, LNPs containing uncomplexed 9C-SCC-10 showed liver-biased mRNA-derived expression and an apparent LNP pKa of 6.42. Coordination with zinc produced the distinct Zn-9C-SCC-10 system, which shifted expression toward the lung. DC67451 refers to the uncomplexed lipid; the zinc-coordinated formulation is described separately in the literature analysis.

PPz-2R1 is an ionizable cationic lipid engineered for mRNA delivery via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). These LNPs demonstrate remarkable lung-selective accumulation in mice, showing significantly higher uptake compared to heart, liver, spleen, and kidney tissues. When loaded with PTEN mRNA, PPz-2R1 LNPs effectively restore tumor suppressor function in PTEN-deficient lung cancer cells and inhibit tumor progression in orthotopic models, with enhanced efficacy observed in combination with PD-1 blockade therapy.

ATX-012 is an ionizable cationic lipid specifically designed for mRNA delivery systems. Its unique chemical structure enables key functions in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations, such as facilitating mRNA encapsulation and enhancing endosomal escape for efficient intracellular delivery.