{"id":3743,"date":"2022-02-17T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=3743"},"modified":"2022-02-04T06:13:26","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T06:13:26","slug":"novel-mrna-vaccine-capsule-enables-oral-delivery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/novel-mrna-vaccine-capsule-enables-oral-delivery\/","title":{"rendered":"Novel mRNA Vaccine Capsule Enables Oral Delivery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/new-covid-19-vaccine-is-being-offered-patent-free\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vaccines are<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/covaxin-covid-19-vaccine-achieves-77-8-effectiveness-new-study-reveals\/\">at the top of di<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/covaxin-covid-19-vaccine-achieves-77-8-effectiveness-new-study-reveals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">s<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/covaxin-covid-19-vaccine-achieves-77-8-effectiveness-new-study-reveals\/\">cussions<\/a> nowadays, and for a pretty good reason: our current health landscape makes it inevitable for us to encounter them at some point. With the COVID-19 pandemic still underway, it\u2019s a better time than any to talk about these treatments and discuss ways how to improve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily for us, researchers over at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mit.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" title=\"Massachusetts Institute of Technology\">Massachusetts Institute of Technology<\/a> (MIT) have been on the case for years now; <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2014\/microneedles-drug-delivery-capsule-1001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a series of research<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2019\/pill-deliver-insulin-orally-0207\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">launched by a team of scientists<\/a> have been on the hunt for a more accessible way to administer drugs, specifically through oral delivery. Now, they seem to be on the cusp of something truly timely: a way to deliver mRNA vaccines orally. Their novel concept, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2022\/oral-rna-vaccines-0131\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revealed by the institution via a press release<\/a>, has been published in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/matter\/fulltext\/S2590-2385(21)00680-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Matter<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"New drug-delivery capsule may replace injections\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PBCa5bM3zjg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>The video above, uploaded back in 2014, has MIT researchers discuss their novel drug capsule technology that contains tiny needles inside; the needles can then administer drugs directly into the stomach lining. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The novel development involves the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/newatlas.com\/drug-delivery-system-capsule-microneedles-mit\/34083\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a unique type of capsule<\/a> that they themselves developed\u2014the paper on which having been published in the <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/jps.24182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences<\/em><\/a> years prior. Here and back then, the capsule contains a series of tiny needles inside, each one capable of administering medicinal doses directly into the stomach lining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/newatlas.com\/mit-insulin-oral-capsule\/58390\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A follow-up research stint<\/a> co-opted insulin into the capsule\u2014now called the <em>self-orienting millimeter-scale applicator<\/em> (SOMA)\u2014giving type 2 diabetes patients a way to administer their own insulin doses without having to inject needles into themselves every single time. This particular work, on the other hand, was published in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aau2277\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Science<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A self-orienting millimeter-scale applicator (SOMA) for oral delivery of insulin and other biologics\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w7UTwEPYD4M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Follow-up research to the one published back in 2014 was described in the video above\u2014this time released back in 2019. The new development co-opted insulin into the novel capsule technology, allowing a noninvasive method of administering insulin to type-2 diabetes patients. (Traverso, 2019)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, they managed to introduce a new type of treatment into the fold: <em>mRNA vaccines<\/em>, which are at the peak of discussion given their prevalence in the time of COVID-19. This time around, they adjusted their capsule technology to allow it to deliver some 150 \u00b5g (micrograms) of RNA into the stomach linings of pig models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Co-senior author and Karl van Tassel Career Development Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT Giovanni Traverso: \u201cNucleic acids, in particular RNA, can be extremely sensitive to degradation particularly in the digestive tract. Overcoming this challenge opens up multiple approaches to therapy, including potential vaccination through the oral route.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To protect the mRNA nucleic acids on their way to the stomach lining, Traverso and the team used protective particles made from polymers called poly(beta-amino esters) (PBAEs). These PBAEs carried the nucleic acids within them, and together with the existing capsule technology, stopped the RNA from degrading in the presence of digestive juices prior to drug delivery within the stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/c8q8cwUVUOtul3Cof7Rhx90qaTLFfrsDzF4PoCkIBuAkmbWgclTjzkRxX1bu1u8FybpkxF-1cuV8_h5HUw20Q2Aj1WAroHlJ1ORoJlNG9Fe1ybrlL3yFpyX8CjIumDstjkON3oay\" ><figcaption>The newly-coopted capsule was designed in such a way as to assure that it always lands in the stomach lining with its needle side down. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The team managed to deliver some 50 \u00b5g of mRNA per capsule, and administered three (3) capsules to pig stomach models; this meant that they delivered some 150 \u00b5g of mRNA total\u2014well above the amount currently administered by mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, which range between 30 and 100 \u00b5g.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, the team is now looking towards developing their novel mRNA capsule further to create a systemic immune response, allowing for \u201ctargeted treatments for gastrointestinal diseases,\u201d which according to the team would be difficult to do through traditional injections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you have systemic delivery through intravenous injection or subcutaneous injection, it\u2019s not very easy to target the stomach,\u201d said lead author Dr. Alex Abramson. \u201cWe see this as a potential way to treat different diseases that are present in the gastrointestinal tract.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"references\">References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Abramson, A., Caffarel-Salvador, E., Khang, M., Dellal, D., Silverstein, D., Gao, Y., Frederiksen, M. R., Vegge, A., Hub\u00e1lek, F., Water, J. J., Friderichsen, A. V., Fels, J., Kirk, R. K., Cleveland, C., Collins, J., Tamang, S., Hayward, A., Landh, T., Buckley, S. T., \u2026 Traverso, G. (2019). An ingestible self-orienting system for oral delivery of macromolecules. <em>Science<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aau2277\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aau2277<\/a><\/li><li>Abramson, A., Kirtane, A. R., Shi, Y., Zhong, G., Collins, J. E., Tamang, S., Ishida, K., Hayward, A., Wainer, J., Rajesh, N. U., Lu, X., Gao, Y., Karandikar, P., Tang, C., Lopes, A., Wahane, A., Reker, D., Frederiksen, M. R., Jensen, B., \u2026 Traverso, G. (2022). Oral mRNA delivery using capsule-mediated gastrointestinal tissue injections. <em>Matter<\/em>, <em>0<\/em>(0). <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.matt.2021.12.022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.matt.2021.12.022<\/a><\/li><li>Haridy, R. (2022, February 1). <em>Innovative capsule allows mRNA vaccines to be delivered orally<\/em>. New Atlas. <a href=\"https:\/\/newatlas.com\/medical\/capsule-oral-mrna-vaccine-mit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/newatlas.com\/medical\/capsule-oral-mrna-vaccine-mit\/<\/a><\/li><li>Irving, M. (2019, February 8). <em>MIT\u2019s new oral capsule injects insulin through microneedles<\/em>. New Atlas. <a href=\"https:\/\/newatlas.com\/mit-insulin-oral-capsule\/58390\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/newatlas.com\/mit-insulin-oral-capsule\/58390\/<\/a><\/li><li>Trafton, A. &amp; MIT News Office. (2014, October 1). <em>New drug-delivery capsule may replace injections<\/em>. MIT News; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2014\/microneedles-drug-delivery-capsule-1001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2014\/microneedles-drug-delivery-capsule-1001<\/a><\/li><li>Trafton, A. &amp; MIT News Office. (2019, February 7). <em>New pill can deliver insulin<\/em>. MIT News; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2019\/pill-deliver-insulin-orally-0207\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2019\/pill-deliver-insulin-orally-0207<\/a><\/li><li>Trafton, A. &amp; MIT News Office. (2022, January 31). <em>Making RNA vaccines easier to swallow<\/em>. MIT News; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2022\/oral-rna-vaccines-0131\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2022\/oral-rna-vaccines-0131<\/a><\/li><li>Traverso, G., Schoellhammer, C. M., Schroeder, A., Maa, R., Lauwers, G. Y., Polat, B. E., Anderson, D. G., Blankschtein, D., &amp; Langer, R. (2015). Microneedles for drug delivery via the gastrointestinal tract. <em>Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences<\/em>, <em>104<\/em>(2), 362\u2013367. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/jps.24182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/jps.24182<\/a><\/li><li>Wood, A. (2014, October 2). <em>MIT pioneers drug delivery system with the potential to replace injections<\/em>. New Atlas. <a href=\"https:\/\/newatlas.com\/drug-delivery-system-capsule-microneedles-mit\/34083\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/newatlas.com\/drug-delivery-system-capsule-microneedles-mit\/34083\/<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vaccines are at the top of discussions nowadays, and for a pretty good reason: our current health landscape&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,12],"tags":[453,378],"class_list":{"0":"post-3743","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-engineering","8":"category-health-and-body","9":"tag-capsule","10":"tag-vaccine","11":"cs-entry","12":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3743"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3747,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743\/revisions\/3747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}