This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: With the commercialization of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, research and development into the application of mRNA in vaccines and pharmaceuticals is accelerating. In particular, it is attracting attention not only in vaccines for preventing infectious diseases but also in cancer immunotherapy.
For infectious diseases, vaccine development is underway for pathogens other than the novel coronavirus. For example, a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine has been approved in Japan and overseas, and vaccines for various other infectious diseases are advancing to clinical trials. In cancer immunotherapy, cancer vaccines—which involve administering mRNA encoding proteins specific to cancer cells to elicit an immune response that recognizes those proteins and attacks the cancer cells—are attracting attention.
In addition, cytokine therapy, which involves the direct administration of mRNA encoding molecules called cytokines that activate the immune system against cancer, is also showing promise. Clinical trials for both cancer vaccines and cytokine therapy are being actively conducted worldwide. In these applications, mRNA is delivered encapsulated within lipid nanoparticles.
Lipid nanoparticles stabilize the mRNA within the body, protect it from degradative enzymes and, once inside target cells, accelerate the process leading to protein production. Furthermore, by inducing an inflammatory response, they enhance the efficacy of vaccines and immunotherapies. The research is published in the journal ACS Nano.
They also migrate easily to lymphoid tissues such as the spleen and lymph nodes, a characteristic that is crucial for achieving high efficacy with vaccines. However, lipid nanoparticles are known to accumulate most heavily in the liver among all organs. For example, when administered intravenously, they migrate to the liver via the bloodstream.
Furthermore, when administered intramuscularly as a vaccine or directly into a tumor during cytokine therapy, they leak into the bloodstream and accumulate in the liver. This causes two main problems. First, unintended protein production from the mRNA in the liver can lead to side effects.
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