Lipid-based nanovaccines

ABSTRACT

Vaccination has had a tremendous impact on global health and the quality of human life by reducing the mortality and morbidity caused by infectious diseases. However, effective and therapeutic vaccines have yet to be developed for completely carrying deadly diseases. In the past few decades, there has been increasing focus on the field of nanotechnology in the combination with vaccination. Nanovaccine formulations not only provide enhanced antigen stability and immunogenicity but also offer targeted delivery and prolonged release. A high number of NP vaccines with varied physicochemical characteristics and properties have been approved for clinical use. The initial part of this review provides information about lipid-based nanoparticles in which nucleic acids such as DNA (as plasmids) and RNA (as mRNA) are encapsulated in order to be used for vaccination. Subsequently, there is presented a short overview according to the first lipid-based marketed products, Inflexal V and Epaxal, and their correlation with today’s lipid-based nanovaccines. This review also focuses on the research efforts for the development of lipid-based vaccines against SARS, MERS and of the recent developments in nanotechnology-based approaches in view of the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. Finally, there are highlighted the promising new treatments and future perspectives of these nanovaccines. © 2021, Zita Medical Managent. All rights reserved.