Recombinant proteins are an essential component of many vaccines. However, producing these crucial proteins can be challenging. From selecting the appropriate expression system to optimizing fermentation and purification processes, there are many factors to consider when designing a process to make high-quality proteins that can be used for vaccine development.
Imagine trying to hold water in a shape without it being in a container. That essentially summarizes mRNA without encapsulation. mRNA is, by nature, very fragile, so you need to protect it so that it can reach its targeted location when it goes into a body. Without that protection, mRNA will be quickly denatured or hydrolyzed. That’s why encapsulation is so important when developing mRNA-based therapeutics.
Overnight success is often the result of years of effort and setbacks, which could be the life story of an mRNA pioneer, Dr. Katalin Karikó, now with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Karikó spent decades focusing her research on how mRNA could be used for therapies, which ultimately helped lead to the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
