RNA formulation for immunotherapy
The present invention is in the field of immunotherapy, in particular tumor immunotherapy. The present invention provides pharmaceutical formulations for delivering RNA to antigen presenting cells such as dendrite cells (DCs) in the spleen after systemic administration. In particular, the formulations described herein enable to induce an immune response after systemic administration of antigen-coding RNA.
1. A method for delivering an antigen to antigen presenting cells in the spleen of a subject, comprising systemically administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition comprising nanoparticles that comprise at least one cationic lipid and at least one RNA molecule encoding the antigen, wherein at physiological pH overall charge ratio of positive charges to negative charges of the nanoparticles is between 1:1.2 (0.83) and 1:2 (0.5), wherein the positive charges are contributed by the at least one cationic lipid, and the negative charges are contributed by the at least one RNA molecule, and whereby the antigen is delivered to antigen presenting cells in the spleen of the subject.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antigen presenting cells are dendritic cells and/or macrophages.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at physiological pH the overall charge ratio of positive charges to negative charges of the nanoparticles is between 1.6:2 (0.8) and 1:2 (0.5) or between 1.6:2 (0.8) and 1.1:2 (0.55).
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at physiological pH the overall charge ratio of positive charges to negative charges of the nanoparticles is 1.3:2 (0.65).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polydispersity index of the nanoparticles is 0.5 or less as measured by dynamic light scattering.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polydispersity index of the nanoparticles is 0.4 or less as measured by dynamic light scattering.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polydispersity index of the nanoparticles is 0.3 or less as measured by dynamic light scattering.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have a zeta potential of from 0 mV to −50 mV.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have a zeta potential of from −10 mV to −30 mV.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have an average diameter in the range of about 50 nm to about 1000 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nanoparticles have an average diameter in the range of from about 100 nm to about 800 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nanoparticles have an average diameter in the range of from about 200 nm to about 600 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nanoparticles have an average diameter in the range of from about 250 nm to about 550 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nanoparticles have an average diameter in the range of from about 250 nm to about 700 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise at least one helper lipid.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the helper lipid is a neutral lipid.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one helper lipid comprises 1,2-di-(9Z-octadecenoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE), cholesterol (Chol) and/or 1,2-diolcoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC).
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein molar ratio of the at least one cationic lipid to the at least one helper lipid is from 9:1 to 3:7.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the molar ratio of the at least one cationic lipid to the at least one helper lipid is from 4:1 to 1:2, 4:1 to 2:3, 7:3 to 1:1, or 2:1 to 1:1.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the molar ratio of the at least one cationic lipid to the at least one helper lipid is about 2:1.
21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one helper lipid is 1,2-di-(9Z-octadecenoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE).
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one cationic lipid is DOTMA and the at least one helper lipid is DOPE.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the molar ratio of DOTMA to DOPE is about 2:1.
24. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
at physiological pH the overall charge ratio of positive charges to negative charges of the nanoparticles is 1.3:2 (0.65);
the polydispersity index of the nanoparticles is 0.5 or less as measured by dynamic light scattering;
the nanoparticles have an average diameter in the range of from about 250 nm to about 700 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering; and
the at least one cationic lipid is DOTMA and the at least one helper lipid is DOPE, and
the molar ratio of DOTMA to DOPE is about 2:1.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cationic lipid comprises 1,2-di-O-octadecenyl-3-trimethylammonium propane (DOTMA) and/or 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP).
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cationic lipid comprises 1,2-di-O-octadecenyl-3-trimethylammonium propane (DOTMA).
27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cationic lipid forms a complex with and/or encapsulates said at least one RNA molecule.
28. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cationic lipid is comprised in a vesicle encapsulating said at least one RNA molecule.
29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are lipoplexes comprising DOTMA and DOPE in a molar ratio of 8:2 to 3:7, and wherein the charge ratio of positive charges in DOTMA to negative charges in the at least one RNA molecule is 1.6:2 (0.8) to 1:2 (0.5).
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the lipoplexes comprise DOTMA and DOPE in a molar ratio of 7:3 to 5:5 and wherein the charge ratio of positive charges in DOTMA to negative charges in the at least one RNA molecule is about 1.3:2 (0.65).
31. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are lipoplexes comprising DOTMA and Cholesterol in a molar ratio of 8:2 to 3:7, and wherein the charge ratio of positive charges in DOTMA to negative charges in the at least one RNA molecule is 1.6:2 (0.8) to 1:2 (0.5).
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the lipoplexes comprise DOTMA and Cholesterol in a molar ratio of 7:3 to 5:5 and wherein the charge ratio of positive charges in DOTMA to negative charges in the at least one RNA molecule is about 1.3:2 (0.65).
33. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are lipoplexes comprising DOTAP and DOPE in a molar ratio of 8:2 to 3:7, and wherein the charge ratio of positive charges in DOTAP to negative charges in the at least one RNA molecule is 1.6:2 (0.8) to 1:2 (0.5).
34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the lipoplexes comprise DOTAP and DOPE in a molar ratio of 7:3 to 5:5 and wherein the charge ratio of positive charges in DOTAP to negative charges in the at least one RNA molecule is about 1.3:2 (0.65).
35. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are produced by a process comprising a step of incubating the at least one RNA molecule with bivalent cations prior to incorporation into said nanoparticles and/or by incubating the at least one RNA molecule with monovalent ions prior to incorporation into said nanoparticles and/or by incubating the at least one RNA molecule with buffers prior to incorporation into said nanoparticles.
36. The method of claim 1 , wherein, after systemic administration of the nanoparticles, expression of the at least one RNA molecule in the spleen is at least 5-fold the amount of expression of the at least one RNA molecule in the lung.
37. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antigen is a disease-associated antigen or elicits an immune response against a disease-associated antigen or cells expressing a disease-associated antigen.
38. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition further comprises one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, diluents, excipients, and/or adjuvants.
39. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles do not comprise a targeting ligand.