Supporting data for “Pulmonary delivery of peptide-based mRNA and siRNA delivery systems”

In this study, to enhance the delivery efficiency of siRNA and mRNA to achieve entry to the cytosols and efficient transfection, two cationic peptides were employed as carriers to deliver siRNA and mRNA to lung tissues. To prepare the peptide/RNA with reproducibility and scalability, a microfluidic mixing method was optimized to prepare the complexes in Chapter 2, which achieves continuous preparation by leveraging diffusion between laminar flows to enhance the homogeneity of the complexes. In Chapter 2, the characterization of complexes, morphology, and transfection ability of the complexes prepared by the microfluidic method with different parameters was incorporated. To achieve efficient lung deposition, an aerosolization technique is required, and the nebulization was used in Chapter 3 to aerosolize the prepared complexes. The aerodynamic profile of the nebulized complexes was incorporated in Chapter 3. Besides, the effect of the nebulization on the size distribution, integrity of RNA, and transfection efficiency of complexes was also incorporated in Chapter 3. Apart from the fabrication and aerosolization techniques, the strategies to improve the penetration and transfection of the peptide-based mRNA delivery system were also explored in Chapter 4. The size distribution, diffusion coefficient, and in vitro transfection of different delivery systems were incorporated in Chapter 4.