- CRISPR gene editing machinery holds the potential to transform the treatment of numerous diseases, but it requires effective delivery systems to get into tissues and disease-relevant cells.
- Delivery with Flashpoint’s spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanoparticles tripled gene editing efficiency compared to standard delivery.
EVANSTON, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Flashpoint Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of precision-engineered structural nanomedicines, today announced the publication of a study entitled “A general genome editing strategy using CRISPR lipid nanoparticle spherical nucleic acids” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of September 1, 2025.
Scientists at the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University, led by Professor Chad Mirkin, have developed a dramatically improved nanostructure called lipid nanoparticle spherical nucleic acids (LNP-SNAs), which carry the full set of CRISPR gene editing tools—Cas9 enzymes, guide RNA, and a DNA repair template—wrapped in a dense, protective shell of DNA. Flashpoint Therapeutics holds an exclusive global license to the technology and plans to develop safer and more potent genetic medicines.
In laboratory tests across various human and animal cell types, the LNP-SNAs entered cells up to three times more effectively, caused less toxicity, boosted gene-editing efficiency threefold, and improved precise DNA repairs by more than 60%, compared to standard lipid nanoparticle delivery systems.
“CRISPR is an incredibly powerful tool that could correct defects in genes to decrease susceptibility to disease and even eliminate disease itself,” said Chad A. Mirkin, Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University and Scientific Founder of Flashpoint Therapeutics. “But it’s difficult to get CRISPR into the cells and tissues that matter. Reaching and entering the right cells—and the right places within those cells—requires a minor miracle. By using SNAs to deliver the machinery required for gene editing, we aimed to maximize CRISPR’s efficiency and expand the number of cell and tissue types that we can deliver it to.”
“The CRISPR LNP-SNAs described in this important paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences represent an exciting example of the types of therapeutic advances that can be unlocked by Flashpoint Therapeutics’ technology platform, and we congratulate our colleagues at Northwestern for their achievements to date,” said Barry Labinger, CEO of Flashpoint Therapeutics. “With CRISPR and other modalities, we intend to apply our platform to creating life-saving treatments for a wide range of diseases—including via collaborations with other companies with complementary capabilities and expertise.”
About Flashpoint Therapeutics
Flashpoint Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of precision-engineered structural nanomedicines. Our platform enables the creation of targeted therapies that co-deliver optimized combinations of therapeutic components directly to individual cells, enhancing drug delivery, stability, potency, and safety. This modular approach supports a broad range of therapies, encompassing modalities like mRNA, DNA, proteins, and CRISPR. The company’s proprietary discovery platform is founded on nanotechnology research developed over the past decade at the laboratory of Dr. Chad Mirkin, Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University. Through strategic licensing and acquisition transactions with Northwestern University, Holden Pharmaceuticals, and Exicure, Flashpoint has assembled more than 150 issued patents and patent applications covering nucleic acid, protein, and CRISPR gene editing therapeutics. The company is funded by key investors, including Beta Lab and CS Venture Opportunities Fund. The company has also established an important partnership with King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), which will advance the technology platform via the Flashpoint-KAIMRC Center of Excellence in Structural Nanomedicine and clinical trials in Saudi research institutions.
For more information about Flashpoint Therapeutics, please visit www.flashpoint.bio.
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Rosie Gonzalez 847-922-9385
