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How did lipid nanoparticles contribute to the development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines?

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Gold and palladium alloy nanoparticles — nanoparticle Image showing nanoparticles of an alloy of gold (yellow) and palladium (blue) on an acid-treated carbon support (gray). These particles were employed as catalysts for the formation of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen (white) and oxygen (red).

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) were essential to the development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines because they solved the critical problem of mRNA instability. Because mRNA is highly susceptible to rapid degradation, it cannot easily reach its target cells on its own.1

The development of LNP technology, pioneered by researchers such as Pieter Cullis, provided a protective delivery system that encapsulates the fragile mRNA molecules. By shielding the mRNA from degradation within the body, these nanoparticles ensure the genetic instructions successfully reach the ribosomes to initiate protein synthesis.231

This breakthrough in nanomedicine was central to the rapid creation of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in 2020. By licensing LNP technology to BioNTech, companies like Acuitas Therapeutics enabled the effective delivery of the synthetic mRNA required to train the immune system to recognize the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.231