Weight Loss Launchpad: Space Tech Boosts Obesity mRNA Treatment Efficacy

Drawing inspiration from space shuttle technology, researchers at Penn Engineering have developed a novel method for synthesizing a crucial element of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). These LNPs are pivotal in administering mRNA therapies, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, by improving both the simplicity of LNP production and their effectiveness in transporting mRNA into cells for medical treatments.

In a paper in Nature Communications, Michael J. Mitchell, Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering, describes a new way to synthesize ionizable lipidoids, key chemical components of LNPs that help protect and deliver medicinal payloads. For this paper, Mitchell and his coauthors tested delivery of an mRNA drug for treating obesity and gene-editing tools for treating genetic disease.