GenScript Biotech Corporation, a provider of life-science research tools and services, expanded its IVT mRNA synthesis portfolio with the addition of customized circular RNA (circRNA) and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) formulation services. The new contract-manufactured reagent services are available immediately to provide reagents that advance research in fields such as vaccine development, protein replacement therapies, and gene and cell therapy.

Circular RNA (circRNA) supports the development of a novel class of RNA therapeutics with several advantages over traditional linear mRNA, including its higher stability and slower degradation, and that it allows for achieving the desirable therapeutic protein levels with a lower dosage.

According to the company, current applications of circRNAs include as the next generation of mRNA therapeutics for protein or antibody expression, as a more stable form of noncoding RNA sponge for modulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, as an alternate CRISPR component expression strategy, and as carriers for drug delivery. Customized circRNA synthesis by GenScript is available now for 100bp – 4 Kb insert sequences with delivery in three weeks.

GenScript has also considered the challenges related to delivery and has launched a solution designed to facilitate faster delivery. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have become increasingly important for nucleic-acid-based drug delivery due to their ability to protect its payload from degradation in blood circulation and improve their bioavailability, as well as to target specific cells or tissues, allowing for more precise delivery of drugs.

Key features of the lipid nanoparticles available from GenScript include high transfection efficiency in immune cells and high gene editing efficiency in cells. GenScript offers LNP formulation for both mRNA and circular RNA, and GenScript LNPs have been validated in vivo for both I.M. and I.V.

“Leveraging GenScript’s cutting-edge gene synthesis technology and proprietary codon optimization algorithm, we are proud to offer the industry’s first optimized, high-quality custom circRNA synthesis service for use in crucial preclinical applications,” Cedric Wu, vice president of the innovation center at GenScript USA. “For researchers in the RNA drug field, expedited delivery of these latest RNA formats at high quality is essential, and we’re seeing more demand for their use in drug and vaccine development. GenScript is already well known for its one-stop IVT mRNA production, and with circRNA and LNP added to our portfolio, GenScript now offers the most comprehensive range of RNA formats.”