Harnessing the power of lipid nanoparticles to treat inflammatory diseases

• Honours

The emergence of Lipid NanoParticle (LNP) delivered mRNA technology marked a transformative leap forward in therapeutics, exemplified by LNP delivery of the COVID19 vaccines. The applications of this technology include vaccines, gene editing and replacement of faulty proteins, offering unparalleled flexibility in combating a wide array of diseases. Conventional treatments for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases often result in severe side effects and significant health complications. This project seeks to develop new mRNA therapeutics that delivery protein blockers of inflammatory signals, with markedly reduced side effects. Through application of advanced molecular biology tools, students will engineer diverse protein variants to optimise protein stability and lifetime. Students will generate LNPs encapsulating the mRNA sequence of optimized candidates, testing these in cell-based assays for reduction of inflammatory signals.

The Nicholson lab focuses on cytokine signalling and innate immunity. We are interested in how the body initiates an innate immune response to fight infectious pathogens and cancer. Particularly, we seek to understand what factors lead to a ‘helpful’ infection-fighting inflammatory response versus damaging disease-causing inflammation.

Cytokines are small proteins that play a key role in controlling inflammation, the normal biological response to wounding or infection. Our research focuses on understanding the signals that occur inside cells exposed to cytoines, instructing them to respond appropriately to infection. This information is underpinning the development of agents that can control the immune response. Our ultimate aim is to advance novel treatments for cancer and severe inflammatory conditions.