Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)
A tiny bubble of fats that carries fragile medicines, like mRNA, into cells.
A lipid nanoparticle is a tiny ball of fat-like molecules (lipids) that wraps a fragile cargo such as mRNA, protects it in the body and helps it get inside cells. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and some gene-editing treatments depend on them.
Where it matters
Technologies we track
- mRNA vaccines in lipid nanoparticlesStep 5 · EverydayThe COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna carry messenger RNA, instructions that get cells to make a copy of one virus protein so the immune system learns to recognize it.
- Gene editing delivered by lipid nanoparticlesStep 3 · TestingThe same lipid nanoparticles that carry mRNA vaccines can carry gene-editing tools to the liver.
- Patisiran (Onpattro)Step 4 · On saleOnpattro treats nerve damage caused by a rare inherited disease, hereditary ATTR amyloidosis.