It's precision nanomedicine targeting the genetic root
The innovation uses RNA interference to silence genes causing excessive inflammatory proteins, offering precision medicine instead of systemic symptom treatment. Liquid crystal nanoparticles protect genetic material and enable deep skin absorption, allowing multiple therapeutic RNAs and drugs to be combined in single particles.
- Psoriasis affects 190 million people globally, 5 million in Brazil
- Liquid crystal nanoparticles deliver therapeutic RNA directly to skin cells
- Two patents filed; animal studies show tumor growth halted or reversed
- Platform also being tested for vitiligo, chronic wound healing, and cancer vaccines
USP researchers created a nanotechnology platform using liquid crystal nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic RNA directly to skin cells, targeting the genetic root of psoriasis and other chronic skin diseases.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo have engineered a new way to treat psoriasis and other chronic skin diseases by using tiny particles made of liquid crystals to deliver healing RNA directly into skin cells. The innovation, developed by the NanoGeneSkin laboratory in Ribeirão Preto, represents a shift from treating symptoms to addressing the genetic root of the problem.
Psoriasis affects roughly 190 million people worldwide, with about 5 million cases in Brazil. The disease is genetic and immune-driven: the body overproduces inflammatory proteins called cytokines, particularly TNF-alpha, which trigger severe skin lesions. Traditional treatments suppress these symptoms across the entire body. The USP team's approach is different. They use synthetic RNA—specifically RNA interference, or siRNA—that acts like a molecular blocker. It intercepts the genetic instructions for making the harmful protein before the cell ever produces it. "It's precision nanomedicine," explains Maria Vitória Bentley, who coordinates the NanoGeneSkin group. "You have a specific target and a complementary RNA to silence that overexpressed gene in that disease."
The central engineering challenge was getting the RNA past the skin's natural protective barrier without the body destroying it. The researchers solved this by building nanoparticles from liquid crystals—lipid-based structures that combine the rigid organization of crystals with the flexibility of liquids. This design protects the genetic material and allows it to penetrate deep into the skin's lower layers. The platform proved capable of packaging multiple therapeutic RNAs and conventional drugs into a single particle, which could amplify treatment of psoriasis's complex inflammatory cascade.
The team presented these findings in London at FAPESP Week, held at the Science Museum, as part of research funded by FAPESP and CNPq through the National Institute for Science and Technology in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology. The work has already expanded beyond psoriasis. For vitiligo, researchers are developing gene therapy to stop skin depigmentation—work that has already yielded one patent. They are also testing messenger RNA nanostructures designed to teach the immune system to fight tumors; animal studies showed the formula could halt or reverse tumor growth. A third application targets chronic wounds that resist normal healing.
With two patents filed and results validated in cell and animal models, the next phase is industrial scaling. The team uses a freeze-drying technique called lyophilization to extend shelf life and enable transport. The NanoGeneSkin laboratory is already in talks with pharmaceutical companies interested in licensing the technology to begin human clinical trials. The path from laboratory discovery to patient treatment is long, but the foundation is set.
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You have a specific target and a complementary RNA to silence that overexpressed gene in that disease.— Maria Vitória Bentley, coordinator of NanoGeneSkin laboratory
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does the skin's natural barrier make RNA delivery so difficult?
The skin evolved to keep things out—it's a fortress. RNA is fragile and water-soluble, so it gets broken down by the body's defenses before it can reach the cells that need it. You need a vehicle that protects it and can slip through.
And the liquid crystal particles do that?
Exactly. They're like tiny armored capsules. The lipid structure mimics what the body recognizes as safe, so it doesn't attack them. And they're flexible enough to navigate through the skin's layers without getting stuck.
So instead of taking a drug that affects your whole body, this targets just the skin cells?
Right. You're not flooding your system with anti-inflammatory chemicals. You're sending a genetic instruction to the specific cells causing the problem, telling them to stop making the protein that's driving the disease.
How close are they to testing this in actual patients?
They have the science validated. Now they need to scale production and navigate regulatory approval. Pharmaceutical companies are already interested, which is a good sign. But human trials are probably still years away.
What makes this different from other gene therapies people have heard about?
Most gene therapies target systemic diseases—things affecting the whole body. This is designed for a specific organ you can see and measure. If it works on the skin, you know immediately. That makes it easier to prove the concept works.