Masatoshi Maeki

The precise size control of the lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based nanodrug delivery system (DDS) carriers, such as 10 nm size tuning of LNPs, is one major challenge for the development of next-generation nanomedicines. Size-controlled LNPs would realize size-selective tumor targeting and deliver DNA and RNA to target tumor tissues effectively by passing through the stromal cells. Herein, we developed a baffle mixer device named the invasive lipid nanoparticle production device, or iLiNP device for

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) or liposomes are the most widely used drug carriers for nanomedicines. The size of LNPs is one of the essential factors affecting drug delivery efficiency and therapeutic efficiency. Here, we demonstrated the effect of lipid concentration and mixing performance on the LNP size using microfluidic devices with the aim of understanding the LNP formation mechanism and controlling the LNP size precisely. We fabricated microfluidic devices with different depths, 11 μm and 31

Formation behavior was discussed for lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in the microfluidic devices equipped with different cycle numbers of the micromixers.

Microfluidic methodologies for preparation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) based on an organic solvent injection method enable precise size control of the LNPs. After preparation of LNPs, the organic solvent injection method needs some post-treatments, such as overnight dialysis or direct dilution with a buffer solution. LNP production using the microfluidic-based organic solvent injection method is dominated by kinetics rather than thermodynamics. Kinetics of ethanol removal from the inner and ou

Microfluidic devices are widely used in lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based vaccines and nanomedicine research. These devices should be stiff enough to withstand the high flow rate for the mass production of LNPs, and malleable enough to use when fabricating complicated microchannel or micromixer structures, such as staggering herringbone micromixers. Due to the limitations of the available fabrication methods, optimal microfluidic devices have not yet been developed. In this study, we report the dev

The function of liposomal drugs and cosmetics is not only controlled by the lipid composition/formulation, but also by the liposome size and internal structure/properties (uni- and multi-lamellae) and membrane rigid/fluidic properties. Although the preparation of liposomes using microfluidic devices offers precise size control and easy scale-up in a continuous manufacturing system, their lamellarity and physicochemical property differences have not been investigated. We therefore prepared differ

Herein, we demonstrate the potential of droplet-based microfluidics for controlling protein crystallization and generating single-protein crystals. We estimated the critical droplet size for obtaining a single crystal within a microdroplet and investigated the crystallization of four model proteins to confirm the effect of protein molecular diffusion on crystallization. A single crystal was obtained in microdroplets smaller than the critical size by using droplet-based microfluidics. In the case

Sub 100 nm-sized lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been widely used in drug delivery systems (DDSs). The size of the LNPs is an important parameter for the DDS performance, such as biodistribution and gene silencing using siRNAs. However, the LNPs prepared by the conventional preparation method show a wide size distribution. To improve the LNP size distribution, we developed a microfluidic device, named the iLiNP™ device, in a previous study. This device could produce LNPs in the size range of 20

Room-temperature (RT) protein crystallography provides significant information to elucidate protein function under physiological conditions. In particular, contrary to typical binding assays, X-ray crystal structure analysis of a protein-ligand complex can determine the three-dimensional (3D) configuration of its binding site. This allows the development of effective drugs by structure-based and fragment-based (FBDD) drug design. However, RT crystallography and RT crystallography-based protein-l

Protein crystallization and subsequent X-ray diffraction analysis of the three-dimensional structure are necessary for elucidation of the biological functions of proteins and effective rational drug design. Therefore, controlling protein crystallization is important to obtain high resolution X-ray diffraction data. Here, a simple microfluidic method using chips with 10 and 50 μm high crystallization chambers to selectively form suitable single protein crystals for X-ray analysis is demonstrated.

The preparation of lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) using microfluidic devices offers significant advantages, such as precise size control and easy scale-up, in a continuous manufacturing system. However, improvements in this preparation method are needed to enhance LNP productivity to meet commercial, such as clinical and consumer, demands. Feeding a highly concentrated lipid solution into microfluidic devices to obtain a high concentration of LNPs is one of the ways to boost productivity. Howe