Oral Thin Films for Lipid Nanoparticle Delivery

This proposal aims to investigate the ability to produce an mRNA vaccine that can be delivered orally, rather than by intramuscular injection. The drawbacks of intramuscular injection include a poor patient experience, the costly need for healthcare professionals to perform the administration, the large amount of waste (needles, syringes, vials), and the requirement for cold-chain storage and transport of the vaccine. As an alternative, oral thin films that rapidly dissolve in the mouth and deliver the mRNA payload directly to mucosal t!ssues are highly advantageous as they can be self-administered, do not involve significant waste, and can potentially be stored at ambient temperatures. To develop such an oral vaccine, it must be demonstrated that mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles (which are the active component of traditional mRNA vaccines) can remain stable upon film formation and can deliver the mRNA payload to cells after film dissolution. The proposed work will complete the necessary studies to achieve both of these requirements, paving the way to future oral vaccines.

Faculty Supervisor:

Alex Adronov

Student:

Partner:

Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp.

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Information and cultural industries

University:

McMaster University

Program: