A research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States has developed a new type of nano delivery particle that can significantly enhance the efficacy of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, thus potentially significantly reducing the cost of single dose vaccines. The relevant results were published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Animal experiments have shown that mRNA influenza vaccines delivered with novel nanoparticles can stimulate an equivalent immune response in mice at only one percent of the dose of traditional vaccines. It is worth noting that this granule is not only suitable for influenza vaccine, but also expected to be used in the prevention and control system of COVID-19, AIDS and other infectious diseases. In order to maintain the stability of mRNA during in vivo delivery, vaccines are usually encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles. These liposomes can both escort mRNA safely into cells and assist in its transformation into specific pathogen protein fragments, thereby activating the immune system. Conventional lipid nanoparticles include ionizable lipids, cholesterol, auxiliary phospholipids, polyethylene glycol lipids, etc. The team will focus on breaking through the key components that determine vaccine efficacy - ionizable lipids. The newly developed AMG1541 lipid nanoparticles exhibit two major advantages: firstly, they significantly improve the efficiency of "endosome release" - when the particles enter the cell, they can more quickly break through the confinement of the endosome compartment and release mRNA to exert their effects; The second is the ester based tail design, which enables the particles to rapidly degrade after completing their mission, accelerating the clearance process in the body and reducing the risk of side effects. To verify the actual effect, the team used the mRNA influenza vaccine as a model to compare the new particles with SM-102 lipids used in Modena's new coronal vaccine. The experiment confirmed that the new particles only require one percent of the dosage to trigger the same level of antibody response. This technology not only helps to develop influenza vaccines that more accurately match the current epidemic strains, but also opens up a new technological path for the prevention and control of major infectious diseases such as AIDS. (New Society)