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. 2022 Nov 16;352:970–993. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.10.061

Table 3.

Representatives of hybrid nanocarriers for the pulmonary delivery of DNA, mRNA, and siRNA.

Nanocarriers Composition Size (nm) Zeta potential (mV) Mass median aerodynamic diameter (μm) Encapsulation efficiency (w/w) (%) Internalization efficiency/Transfection efficiency Refs
pDNA
Polymer-peptide nanoparticles Chitosan (126 kDa/mol)
Fibronectin attachment protein of mycobacterium bovis (FAP-B)
250 −1 After administration of FAP-B/CS-DNA NPs to BALB/c mice using an air-jet nebulizer, the transfection efficiency in the mouse lung was increased 16-fold compared with unmodified Chitosan NPs. [211]
Polymer-peptide nanoparticles PLGA (7–17 kDa)
CPPs (They derived from lactoferrin and composed by 22 amino acids)
167.9 −0.13 96.7 The internalization efficiencies of NPs were 83.85 ± 1.2% in Beas-2B cells and 96.76 ± 1.7% in A549 cells. [207]
Lipid-polymer nanoparticles Triolein
PEI (1.2 kDa)
DOPE
228.1 +11.92 SPC-A1 cells (Human lung adenocarcinoma cells) were transfected in vitro. When N/P (The ratio of nitrogen in PEI to phosphate in DNA) was 10, the transfection efficiency of NPs was twice that of Lipofectamine 2000. [212]
Polymer-peptide nanoparticles DSPE-PEG2000
PBAEs
PLGA
CPP (mTAT/bPrPp/MPG)
< 200 +9.1 − +30.2 CFBE41o cells were transfected in vitro. After 3 h, the transfection efficiency of Lipofectamine 2000 was approximately 4.5 times that of PBAEs/PLGA NPs. After 7 h, the transfection efficiency of bPrPp- or MPG-modified NPs was similar to that of Lipofectamine 2000. However, the transfection efficiency of mTAT-modified NPs was lower than that of PBAEs/PLGA NPs and Lipofectamine 2000. [109]
Lipid-polymer nanoparticles DOTAP
DOPE
Protamine sulfate salt
Hyaluronic acid sodium salt
207.8 −13.1 In A549 cells, the cellular uptake of HA-modified liposome-protamine-DNA nano-complex (LPD) was approximately 1.2 times that of LPD, and the gene silencing of HA-modified LPD was 2.5 times that of LPD. [100]



mRNA
Polymer-peptide nanoparticles KL4 peptide
PEG12 (600 Da)
432 (SD)
375 (SFD)
+27.58 (SD)
+30.58 (SFD)
4.45/5.54 (SD)
1.53/2.13 (SFD)
In vitro transfection of A549 cells, the transfection efficiency of HNPs was similar to that of Lipofectamine 2000. After intratracheal administration to the lung of BALB/c mice for 24 h, the transfection efficiency of PEG12KL4 NPs was 12-fold higher than that of Lipofectamine 2000 at a ratio of PEG12KL4 to mRNA of 10:1 (w/w). [125]



siRNA
Lipid-polymer nanoparticles PLGA (20 kDa)
DOTAP (15 w/w)
216 +33.1 3.69 H1299/EGFP cells (Human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line stably expressing the reporter gene EGFP) were transfected in vitro. The gene silencing of HNPs was about 1/6 of that of Lipofectamine 2000. [213]
Lipid-polymer nanoparticles PLGA (7–17 kDa)
DPPC
141 −29.1 3.96 74.8 In vitro transfection of A549 cells resulted in gene silencing, and DPPC/PLGA NPs reduced the protein expression of aENaC and bENaC by 60% and 40%, respectively. [204]
Polymer-peptide nanoparticles Melittin (It inserts into lipid membranes and induces pores)
p(OEGMA-DMAEMA) (Hydrophilic cation polymer)
p(DIPAMA-PDSEMA) (pH-sensitive polymer that changes from hydrophobic to hydrophilic under acidic conditions)
62 +40.5 When the N/P ratio was 8, the internalization efficiency of virus-inspired polymer for endosomal release (VIPER) in T lymphocytes was twice that of Lipofectamine 2000. H1299/EGFP cells were transfected in vitro. When the N/P ratio was 8 and 10, the gene silencing of VIPER was 4 times that of Lipofectamine 2000. When the N/P ratio was 8, the gene silencing was 76% after intratracheal administration to the lung of BALB/c mice for 24 h, which was approximately twice that of PEI. [132,214]
Lipid-polymer nanoparticles Lipidoid 5 (L5) (It is a novel cationic lipid consisting of an alkylated tetraamine backbone)
PLGA (20 kDa)
Cholesterol
DOTAP
N-palmitoyl-sphingosine-1-succinyl(methoxypolyethylene glycol 2000) (C16-PEG2000 ceramide)
60–100 5–10 80–90 The internalization efficiency of L5/C16-PEG2000/DOTAP/PLGA NPs in THP-1 cells (human macrophages) was approximately 4 times that of L5/DOTAP/PLGA NPs and 6 times that of DOTAP/PLGA NPs. However, the internalization efficiency of DOTAP/PLGA NPs in hAELVi cells (human ATI cells) was approximately 8.5 times higher than that of L5/C16-PEG2000/PLGA NPs. [215]