Third Party Funds Group - Sub project
Acronym: TEL-Drug Delivery
Start date : 01.01.2023
End date : 31.12.2025
Website: https://www.chemistry.nat.fau.eu/fischer-group/tel-drug-delivery-project/
The aim of this project is to develop a transport system for the oral administration of mRNA vaccines that ensures the safe, stable, and efficient transfer of mRNA to the intestine through the use of acid-stable special lipids. Advantages include (1) a patient-friendly form of administration, (2) potentially better biodistribution and higher stability of the mRNA active ingredients, and (3) a simple and sustainable manufacturing process. This should make mRNA vaccinations simple, cost-efficient, and possible without major logistical effort, e.g., even in developing countries.
Lipid vesicles are particularly suitable for this purpose. Conventional lipid vesicles are unstable at the low pH value of the stomach. Membrane lipids of thermoacidophilic archaea contain aliphatic nonpolar chains that are linked to the polar head groups via ether bonds instead of ester bonds. In addition, some of the lipids are structured in such a way that they have polar head groups at both ends and span the entire membrane. In contrast to conventional cell membranes, they form a monolayer that is stable at high temperatures and low pH values. Due to their structure, archaeal lipids are also called tetraether lipids, and the vesicles formed from them are known as archaeosomes. In the planned project, the cultivation process of Archaeon Picrophilus oshimae as a starting material is to be optimized, standardized, and prepared for large-scale production.
The aim of this project is to develop a transport system for the oral administration of mRNA vaccines that ensures the safe, stable, and efficient transfer of mRNA to the intestine through the use of acid-stable special lipids. Advantages include (1) a patient-friendly form of administration, (2) potentially better biodistribution and higher stability of the mRNA active ingredients, and (3) a simple and sustainable manufacturing process. This should make mRNA vaccinations simple, cost-efficient, and possible without major logistical effort, e.g., even in developing countries.
Lipid vesicles are particularly suitable for this purpose. Conventional lipid vesicles are unstable at the low pH value of the stomach. Membrane lipids of thermoacidophilic archaea contain aliphatic nonpolar chains that are linked to the polar head groups via ether bonds instead of ester bonds. In addition, some of the lipids are structured in such a way that they have polar head groups at both ends and span the entire membrane. In contrast to conventional cell membranes, they form a monolayer that is stable at high temperatures and low pH values. Due to their structure, archaeal lipids are also called tetraether lipids, and the vesicles formed from them are known as archaeosomes. In the planned project, the cultivation process of Archaeon Picrophilus oshimae as a starting material is to be optimized, standardized, and prepared for large-scale production.