Lipid Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of mRNA Therapeutics and Vaccines

As mRNA is degraded by nucleases and cannot easily cross the cell membrane due to its large size and negative charge, delivery requires encapsulation in vehicles, such as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Cellular uptake of LNPs begins with endocytosis followed by endosomal escape, LNP degradation, and mRNA release into the cytosol. mRNA is then translated into protein for therapeutic applications, including (i) protein replacement therapies, (ii) vaccines, and (iii) gene editing.