Lipid Nanoparticles to Harness the Therapeutic Potential of mRNA for Cancer Treatment

Abstract

In recent years, mRNA has become an appealing platform for the development of therapeutic agents both for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Efficient delivery of mRNA into target cells is crucial for fully harnessing its therapeutic potential. However, mRNA possesses structural limitations, including its net negative charge and hydrophilicity, that impede its efficient cellular uptake. Likewise, mRNA is characterized by an intrinsic fragility, resulting in it being a highly instable molecule. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been successfully used for protecting and delivering mRNA encoding for various therapeutic proteins. This chapter is intended to give a comprehensive overview of the current approaches for mRNA synthesis and LNPs manufacturing. We provide an in-depth analysis of how mRNA technology is revolutionizing the area of cancer immunotherapy, critically reviewing the major fields of application of nanoformulated-mRNA medications and addressing the advantages and drawbacks of each one. Finally, we offer a wide landscape of future possibilities and remaining issues of current mRNA-based therapies.