Role of nanotechnology behind the success of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19

Amit Khurana; Prince Allawadhi; Isha Khurana; Sachin Allwadhi; Ralf Weiskirchen; Anil Kumar Banothu; Deepak Chhabra; Kamaldeep Joshi; Kala Kumar Bharani

doi:10.1016/j.nantod.2021.101142

Role of nanotechnology behind the success of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19

Nano Today. 2021 Jun:38:101142. doi: 10.1016/j.nantod.2021.101142. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Authors

Amit Khurana^{1

2

3

4}, Prince Allawadhi⁵, Isha Khurana⁶, Sachin Allwadhi⁷, Ralf Weiskirchen³, Anil Kumar Banothu^{2

8}, Deepak Chhabra⁹, Kamaldeep Joshi⁷, Kala Kumar Bharani^{4

8}

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Biomedical Engineering (CBME), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India.
² Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science (CVSc) PVNRTVU, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, Telangana, India.
³ Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstr. 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
⁴ Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science (CVSc) PVNRTVU, Mamnoor, Warangal 506166, Telangana, India.
⁵ Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India.
⁶ Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
⁷ Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India.
⁸ Department of Aquatic Animal Health Management, College of Fishery Science, PVNRTVU, Pebbair, Wanaparthy 509104, Telangana, India.
⁹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Institute of Engineering & Technology (UIET), Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India.

Abstract

The emergency use authorization (EUA) by the US-FDA for two mRNA-based vaccines BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) has brought hope of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic which has killed more than two million people globally. Nanotechnology has played a significant role in the success of these vaccines. Nanoparticles (NPs) aid in improving stability by protecting the encapsulated mRNA from ribonucleases and facilitate delivery of intact mRNA to the target site. The overwhelming success of these two mRNA based vaccines with ~95% efficacy in phase III clinical trials can be attributed to their unique nanocarrier, the "lipid nanoparticles" (LNPs). LNPs are unique compared with bilayered liposomes and provide improved stability of the cargo, possess rigid morphology, and aid in better cellular penetration. This EUA is a major milestone and showcases the immense potential of nanotechnology for vaccine delivery and for fighting against future pandemics. Currently, these two vaccines are aiding in the alleviation of the COVID-19 health crisis and demonstrate the potential utility of nanomedicine for tackling health problems at the global level.

Keywords: BNT162b2; COVID-19; Lipid nanoparticles; mRNA; mRNA-1273.