Abstract
An area of active research in the field of cardiac gene therapy aims to achieve high transfection efficiency without eliciting immune or inflammatory reactions. Nanomedicine offers an attractive alternative to traditional viral delivery vehicles because nanoparticle technology can enable safer and more controlled delivery of therapeutic agents. Here we describe the use of lipidoid nanoparticles for delivery of modified mRNA (modRNA) to the myocardium in vivo, with a focus on rodent models that represent a first step toward preclinical studies. Three major procedures are discussed in this chapter: (1) preparation of lipid modRNA nanoparticles, (2) intramyocardial delivery of the lipid modRNA nanoparticles by direct injection with an open chest technique in rats, and (3) intracoronary delivery of the lipid modRNA nanoparticles with open chest and temporary aortic cross clamping in rats.