Frontiers in Nanotechnology Seminar Series Presents, Michael J. Mitchell, from University of Pennsylvania

“Lipid Nanoparticles for Overcoming Biological Barriers to RNA Delivery”

In recent years, tremendous developments and breakthroughs have been witnessed in RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. The distinct mechanisms of exogenous RNAs and analogs, including messenger RNAs, small interfering RNAs, microRNAs, and antisense oligonucleotides, have brought them unprecedented potential to treat a variety of pathological conditions. However, the widespread application of RNA therapeutics and vaccines is hampered by their intrinsic features (e.g., instability, large size, and dense negative charge) and formidable host barriers. Developing safe and efficient vectors is key for successfully delivering and translating RNA therapeutics and vaccines.

In this talk, Michael will discuss our efforts toward developing new lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that enable the delivery of RNA therapeutics and vaccines to target cells and tissues in vivo. Furthermore, he will describe new therapeutic strategies utilizing these LNPs for (i) mRNA delivery to solid tumors for cancer immunotherapy and (ii) in vivo reprogramming of immune cells for in situ CAR T cell engineering.

Get to Know Michael
(Click HERE for Michael’s CV)

Michael J. Mitchell is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and leads the Lipid Nanoparticle Delivery Systems Group at the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation. His research sits at the intersection of biomaterials, drug delivery, and cellular engineering, with a focus on developing lipid and polymeric nanoparticles to deliver genetic medicines across the body. His lab applies these technologies to cancer immunotherapy, mRNA vaccines, genome editing, cardiovascular disease, and even in-utero therapeutics.

Mitchell has earned numerous prestigious awards, including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award, and multiple honors from the Controlled Release Society. In 2022, he was recognized as Penn’s “Emerging Inventor of the Year” for his groundbreaking lipid nanoparticle technologies. He is also a co-founder of Liberate Bio, a biotech company advancing non-viral genetic medicine delivery, and serves as a scientific advisor to multiple biotechnology companies.