It’s been years in the making, but the promise of messenger (m)RNA vaccines has finally been realized, thanks to a global pandemic that accelerated research and innovation in the field. But the success of mRNA vaccines would not have been possible without another lynchpin technology — the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that protect mRNA and deliver it into cells. This article will discuss the landscape of lipid nanoparticle research and future opportunities for nanotechnology beyond COVID-19.
While several vaccines have been deployed in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, the two lipid nanoparticle-based mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer–BioNTech have been the most widely used, demonstrating the pivotal role of nanotechnology in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The large-scale rollout of these vaccines in 2021 changed the course of the pandemic, causing a remarkable decline in COVID-19 cases.
Nanosynth Group plc (LON:NNN) nano-technology business that originated in Nottingham from a partnership with Nottingham Trent University. Their core mission is to develop unique ways to produce and apply nanoparticles.