One of the aftermaths of COVID-19 pandemic is the need for the development and rapid deployment of mRNA vaccines. It highlights the important role played by lipid nanoparticles (LNP) in the pharmaceutical industry. As an important delivery vehicle for delicate RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics, LNPs protect the RNA from degrading and ensure that it is delivered effectively within the body.
Despite this fact, large-scale manufacturing of LNPs faced challenges during the pandemic. As a result, it needs scalable production methods that can keep pace with the global demands.
Reusable Platform as Scalable Solution
At the University of Pennsylvania, a team of researchers studied the potential of Silicon Scalable Lipid Nanoparticle Generation (SCALAR) platform in providing an efficient solution to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a reusable silicon- and glass-based tool, SCALAR is designed to revolutionize the production landscape of LNPs for RNA vaccines and therapeutics.
According to co-author Michael Mitchell, they aim to develop a piece of technology platform that can bridge the gap between small-scale discovery and large-scale manufacturing of RNA lipid nanoparticle vaccines and therapeutics. By doing so, they can effectively address the barriers that hinder the manufacturing of promising RNA medicines.
Since SCALAR microchips are made from silicon and glass, they provide advantages over the conventional polymer-based platforms. Its major benefit is the prevention of material leaching which can lead to the contamination of the platforms. In addition, SCALAR chips also allow sterilization to be conducted at extremely high temperatures, making them useful in the pharmaceutical industry. Since the platform can be reset and reused, the overall manufacturing cost can also be reduced.
The development of SCALAR was based on a previous study conducted at the Mitchell laboratory and is based on a microfluidic chip platform. It works like a computer chip, where the electrically integrated circuit has many little transistors that transport signals as ones or zeroes in order to produce an output. In addition to this, the SCALAR microchip controls lipids and RNA in order to generate LNPs.
The research team initially used the SCALAR platform in formulating SARS-CoV-2 spike-encoding mRNA LNP vaccines. However, they believe that it can also be applied in broader areas since it can be a cornerstone in the nanomedicine industry, beyond RNA-based therapies.
mRNA-LNP Vaccine Against COVID-19
Among the many vaccines developed against SARS-CoV-2, the mRNA-based shots have demonstrated better results in terms of safety and efficacy. The success of mRNA-LNP vaccines against COVID-19 have clinically proven the potential of lipid-based nanoparticle delivery, offering possibilities for the development of other effective genomic medicines.
One of the major advantages of mRNA vaccines is their rapid development. The mRNA can be created within weeks after the protective protein antigen was identified and upon sequencing of the corresponding gene. Furthermore, mRNA-LNP vaccines do not generate immunity against its carrier unlike viral vector-based shots.
The modular nature of the LNP-formulated substance allows them to be mixed, matched, and modified for improved immune responses. Additionally, the encapsulated mRNA can also be enhanced for better efficiency and stability.
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