LAPIS
LAYER-BY-LAYER PRECISION DELIVERY PLATFORM FOR INTRACELLULAR MRNA, DNA, PROTEINS AND SMALL MOLECULES
WHAT IF INTRACELLULAR DELIVERY COULD BE TAILORED WITH THE PRECISION OF A MODULAR PLATFORM, RATHER THAN REBUILT FOR EVERY NEW PAYLOAD? mRNA therapeutics and vaccines are moving fast, but their next wave will require delivery systems that go beyond conventional lipid nanoparticles. Companies developing advanced vaccines, gene therapies or combination products increasingly need carriers that are not only efficient, but also targetable, modular, scalable and compatible with multiple payload types. LAPIS is a next-generation layer-by-layer nanoformulation platform designed to address exactly that challenge. Developed by the Laboratory of Neuro-Aging and ViroImmunotherapy, LAPIS offers a versatile delivery technology for intracellular administration of mRNA, DNA, proteins and small molecules. Its layer-by-layer architecture enables rational design and stepwise functionalization, allowing the platform to be adapted to specific therapeutic or vaccine needs. A key bottleneck of earlier layer-by-layer systems has been insufficient protein expression after mRNA delivery. LAPIS overcomes this limitation through the integration of cationic peptides, resulting in high-efficiency mRNA
transfection and robust, reproducible protein expression in both in vitro and in vivo models. Notably, LAPIS also demonstrates superior saRNA delivery performance compared with leading commercial transfection reagents, highlighting its potential as a next-generation platform for mRNA and self-amplifying RNA vaccines. The strength of LAPIS lies in its modularity. The platform can be functionalized with targeting ligands, adjuvants and immune modulators, and supports co-delivery of nucleic acids, proteins and small molecules. This creates opportunities for precision immunotherapy, next-generation vaccines, gene therapy applications and combination strategies where payload, targeting and immune activation need to be tuned together.
Currently at TRL 3, LAPIS has demonstrated strong translational potential, including potent immune activation and superior translatability compared with earlier layer-by-layer approaches. A patent application is pending: WO2025 051807 A1. This technology is further being advanced through a recently awarded SBO research project (FWOSBO67). We are seeking industrial partners interested in testing, validating and co-developing the LAPIS platform toward TRL 5. The opportunity is particularly relevant for companies looking to expand beyond standard lipid nanoparticle delivery and explore a customizable, scalable and cost-effective platform for precision intracellular delivery.