Kathryn A. Whitehead

Lipid nanoparticle protein coronas arise through lipoprotein fusion rather than shell-like adsorption

This study shows lipid nanoparticles form protein coronas through lipoprotein fusion, not surface adsorption, using cryo-EM and simulations.

Enhanced epigenetic modulation via mRNA-encapsulated lipid nanoparticles enables targeted anti-inflammatory control

The paper develops a zinc finger-based transcriptional repressor delivered via lipid nanoparticles to modulate immune signaling and treat septicemia in mice.

Protein corona formed on lipid nanoparticles compromises delivery efficiency of mRNA cargo

A 16-hour continuous iodixanol density gradient workflow isolates lipid nanoparticle protein coronas from human plasma and shows that vitronectin and C-reactive protein coronas impair mRNA delivery in liver cells.

Lipid Nanoparticle-Associated Inflammation is Triggered by Sensing of Endosomal Damage: Engineering Endosomal Escape without Side Effects

This paper identifies that lipid nanoparticle-induced inflammation arises from endosomal membrane damage and proposes strategies to mitigate it through galectin inhibition or ESCRT-recruiting lipids.

Hydrophobic Ion Pairing for Simple, Non-Toxic Transfection

This paper introduces a new transfection method using hydrophobic ion pairing (HIP) that achieves efficient siRNA delivery in multiple cell types and organs with low toxicity.