etherna, a global RNA technology company, has announced the publication of a peer-reviewed paper in Advanced Functional Materials showcasing the strengths of etherna’s proprietary Lipid based nanoparticle (LNP) platform.
The work, which was conducted in collaboration with the lab of prof. De Geest at Ghent University, describes how the delivery of mRNA encoded antigens in LNPs enhances the induction of antigen-specific immune responses, while reducing undesired off-target expression in the liver.
The researchers compared the transfection ability and toxicity arising from the use of two different mRNA encapsulation materials, MC3 (which served as a benchmark) and etherna’s S-Ac7-DOG.
In mouse models, the team found that S-Ac7-DOG encapsulated mRNA demonstrated markedly higher transfection, lower reactogenicity, and higher accumulation in the vaccine draining lymph nodes, tissues where immune responses against microbial antigens and tumour antigens are typically induced.
Hypothetically, any mRNA-based drug using S-Ac7-DOG as the lipid base would therefore have improved efficacy and a better safety profile. Eventually, these findings could lead to the development and subsequent delivery of highly efficacious, safe cancer vaccines and treatments.
Stefaan De Koker, etherna’s Vice President, Technology & Innovation, says: “The publication in Advanced Functional Materials demonstrates several key advantages of etherna’s mRNA and lipid nanoparticle offerings and, for the first time, demonstrates the two together.”
“Whilst the currently published work focuses on the design of mRNA LNPs for more effective vaccines, we also have designed LNP platforms based on similar chemistries for the immune-silent delivery of mRNA to haematopoietic stem cells, macrophages and hepatocytes, thereby extending the utility of our LNP platforms to haematological disorders, rare genetic diseases, and auto-immunity.”
“It is our view that mRNA therapies, when successfully deployed, could be used to save the lives of millions of patients worldwide,” he says. “As a company, we are now even better positioned to sign development agreements with large pharmaceutical companies who require additional assistance in bringing their own mRNA therapies to market.”
