The Drew Weissman Lab
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drewweissmanlab.bsky.social
The Drew Weissman Lab
@drewweissmanlab.bsky.social
Bringing mRNA therapeutics to the world.
University of Pennsylvania
https://www.med.upenn.edu/weissmanlab/
🎉Our newest pre-print is now online on bioRxiv! Anionic lipids modulate mRNA-lipid nanoparticle immunogenicity and confer protection in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis
@jilianmelamed.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Anionic lipids modulate mRNA-lipid nanoparticle immunogenicity and confer protection in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis
The modularity of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) platforms has enabled their rapid adaptation from infectious disease vaccines to emerging applications in immune-mediated disorders. However, exten...
www.biorxiv.org
October 20, 2025 at 1:35 PM
This week we'll be at the CRS 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo!
#CRS2025
July 14, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by The Drew Weissman Lab
How adding mRNA to code for interleukin-12 markedly increased T cell immune response which could be used for vaccines vs infectious diseases and cancer @sciimmunology.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
An Il12 mRNA-LNP adjuvant enhances mRNA vaccine–induced CD8 T cell responses
IL-12 is dispensable for CD8 T cell responses to mRNA vaccination, but an Il12 mRNA-LNP enhances CD8 T cell memory and protection.
www.science.org
June 7, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Harnessing the Electron-Withdrawing Inductive Effect of One-Component Ionizable Amphiphilic Janus Dendrimers Unveils Cation−π Interactions and Their Important Roles to Targeted mRNA Delivery | Journal of the American Chemical Society pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Harnessing the Electron-Withdrawing Inductive Effect of One-Component Ionizable Amphiphilic Janus Dendrimers Unveils Cation−π Interactions and Their Important Roles to Targeted mRNA Delivery
It is expected that current medicine will be complemented or even replaced with genetic nanomedicine, which relies on the targeted delivery of nucleic acids. Delivery of mRNA is accomplished using viral and synthetic four-component vectors which deliver the nucleic acid predominantly to the liver. Our laboratories elaborated a one-component ionizable amphiphilic Janus dendrimer (IAJD) which targets the delivery of mRNA and, therefore, is complementary to viral and synthetic vectors. Here we report the study of a library of IAJDs containing derivatives of the natural gallic acid (GA) as branched hydrophobic domain and two ionizable amines connected via four linker length. The linker length mediates an electron-withdrawing inductive effect, which changes the pKa of the IAJDs. The same pKa trend was observed in a previously reported pentaerythritol (PE)-library, which has structures identical to those of the GA-library except that it does not contain the aromatic ring. Unpredictable, the GA-library of IAJDs has consistently higher pKa values than the PE-library, although the linker length-pKa dependence follows the same trend in both libraries. This trend indicates an unexpected cation−π interaction which explains some advantages of GA-IAJDs, including the 109 p/s total luciferase activity reported here.
pubs.acs.org
June 16, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by The Drew Weissman Lab
We're not the first to use IL-12 as an adjuvant - but having worked on IL-12 for >30 years this was still a surprise at how much this study taught us about mRNA vaccines and their utility. Here are two others below:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@cytokinesociety.bsky.social
An Il12 mRNA-LNP adjuvant enhances mRNA vaccine–induced CD8 T cell responses
IL-12 is dispensable for CD8 T cell responses to mRNA vaccination, but an Il12 mRNA-LNP enhances CD8 T cell memory and protection.
www.science.org
June 9, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Big congrats to our superstar, Jaclynn Meshanni, for winning an ATS abstract scholarship! 🌟 So proud of your hard work.

P.S. She also throws a great craft gift exchange! 😉

@atscommunity.bsky.social
June 5, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Cancer-fighting immune cells could soon be engineered inside our bodies www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Cancer-fighting immune cells could soon be engineered inside our bodies
Manufacturing CAR T cells in the laboratory is expensive and time-consuming. An in vivo approach could get the powerful therapy to more people.
www.nature.com
May 27, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Scientists Hail This Medical Breakthrough. A Political Storm Could Cripple It. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/u...
Scientists Hail This Medical Breakthrough. A Political Storm Could Cripple It.
www.nytimes.com
May 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by The Drew Weissman Lab
The 2025 Bioengineering Graduate Research Symposium is next Friday! Lab members 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗮𝘁-𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮 and 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗞𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗹 will be presenting posters and keynote speaker is Drew Weissman! #PennBioengineering
May 1, 2025 at 6:17 PM
The 2025 Bioengineering Graduate Research Symposium is next Friday! Lab members 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗮𝘁-𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮 and 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗞𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗹 will be presenting posters and keynote speaker is Drew Weissman! #PennBioengineering
May 1, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Reposted by The Drew Weissman Lab
Congratulations to Katalin Karikó (@PennNSG), Virginia Lee (@pennpathlabmed.bsky.social), @ejohnwherry.bsky.social (@PennSysPharmATT) & Mark Devlin (@physatpenn) on their election to @nasonline.org! tinyurl.com/5eehdtms
April 30, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Join Us at Cellicon Valley '25: The Future of Cell and Gene Therapies
youtu.be/OJzW-XknmHA?...
Join Us at Cellicon Valley '25: The Future of Cell and Gene Therapies
YouTube video by Penn Medicine
youtu.be
April 29, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Today at 3pm!
April 10, 2025 at 2:38 PM
See national impact of federal health research cuts scienceimpacts.org
SCIMaP - Impacts of Federal Cuts to Science and Medical Research
Developed by an interdisciplinary research team, this website shows how funding cuts reduce economic activity and employment nationwide
scienceimpacts.org
April 10, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by The Drew Weissman Lab
Several months ago, I was honored to be invited by JMB Editor-in-Chief Mike Summers to write a Perspective for the Pioneers in Molecular Biology special issue. It was a chance to reflect on the journey that led me here. You can read the pieces here: tinyurl.com/2pb967u9 & tinyurl.com/kkwfynt2
Making Every Penny Count: Kinase Signaling Transduction, Copper Homeostasis, & Nutrient Sensing
I am the Harrison McCrea Dickson, MD, and Clifford C. Baker, MD Presidential Associate Professor of Cancer Biology at the University of Pennsylvania P…
tinyurl.com
April 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by The Drew Weissman Lab
NIH cuts that hit a breakthrough in cancer treatment for a refractory, metastatic GI cancer
Front page @washingtonpost.com
Gift link wapo.st/4j8Hwd1 @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social
@naturemedicine.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
April 7, 2025 at 2:23 PM
April 4, 2025 at 5:58 PM
RNADay@Penn 2025 starts today at 2pm!
April 1, 2025 at 12:48 PM