Abstract

Nanospresso: Microfluidic Mixing of Nucleic Acids and Excipients to Make Nanomedicines

Raymond Schiffelers, Professor of Nanomedicine, University Medical Center Utrecht

Lipid nanoparticles are the frontrunner nanomedicines for the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were built on this technology. These lipid nanoparticles self-assemble around the mRNA through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. For mass production of lipid nanoparticles (like vaccines during a pandemic) impingement jet technology provides high throughput. For smaller batches, microfluidic mixing can provide an excellent platform for making high quality lipid nanoparticles. In the project NANOSPRESSO, we take this concept one step further to explore microfluidic mixing of personalized lipid nanoparticles in a cartridge for a single dose for a single patient produced in the hospital pharmacy. This concept offers attractive properties for the democratization of personalized healthcare.