A Deformulating Multi-Attribute SEC Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Total RNA, Conjugated Antibody, and Free Antibody in Targeted Lipid Nanoparticles
Targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs) hold promise for improving cell- and tissue-selective delivery of therapeutic payloads but introduce analytical challenges associated with characterizing both encapsulated cargo and surface-associated targeting ligands within the same formulation. Conventional nucleic acid and protein assays can be affected by nanoparticle scattering, matrix interference, or a limited ability to distinguish conjugated antibody from free antibody. Here, we report an online deformulating size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) method that enables simultaneous quantification of total RNA, conjugated antibody, and free antibody from 5 L of tLNP sample. Following injection, exposure to a mobile phase containing sodium dodecyl sulfate and isopropanol disrupts the nanoparticles, enabling chromatographic separation of RNA, conjugated antibody, and free (unconjugated) antibody while minimizing sample handling prior to analysis. RNA was quantified by UV260 detection, whereas antibody was quantified by UV280 or intrinsic fluorescence detection to maximize sensitivity. The method demonstrated linear response over the evaluated concentration ranges, spike recoveries of 88-122%, and precision below 5% relative standard deviation. Application to purified tLNP formulations demonstrated simultaneous assessment of total RNA and conjugated antibody content, while confirming the absence of detectable free antibody following purification. Together, these results establish online deformulating SE-HPLC as a practical multi-attribute analytical method for characterization of tLNPs, enabling concurrent assessment of total RNA concentration, conjugated antibody concentration, and free antibody concentration using standard HPLC instrumentation.