Lipid Nanoparticles: Key Facilitators of mRNA Vaccine Development

The current applications of nanomedicine span from the treatment of an infection right up to the treatment of cancer. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have established themselves as reliable delivery systems for delivering therapeutic agents including nucleic acids since they prevent in vivo degradation of nucleic acids and facilitate their target-specific delivery. The mRNA is one such nucleic acid that is delivered by the LNPs for the treatment of infectious diseases. This review provides a detailed insight into the concept of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, their mechanism of action, manufacturing process, critical considerations in the formulation, development, and manufacturing of these vaccines, and explains the vital role of LNPs in the development of these vaccines. Certain shortcomings of the lipid nanoparticle-mRNA vaccine concerning the in vitro stability of the mRNA and the LNP have also been highlighted in this review.