Harnessing SMALPs for Targeted Drug Delivery: A Multi-Modal Exploration

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are key reagents in the delivery of therapeutic drugs and genes due to their biological compatibility and ability to encapsulate a wide range of molecules. Traditional LNPs, however, present challenges such as large size, which limits cellular uptake, and vulnerability to manufacturing processes. An innovative alternative to these traditional nanoparticles is lipid nanodiscs, which have gained significant interest over the past 15 years, particularly for their use in isolating and stabilizing membrane proteins. These nanodiscs, also known as styrene-maleic acid-lipid particles (SMALPs), are discoidal particles with diameters around 10 nm and thicknesses comparable to cell membranes. This project aims to understand the fate of SMALPs in mammalian cells and to harness the unique properties of SMALPs to facilitate targeted drug delivery.