NIAID VRC NUCLEIC ACID AND LIPID TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

The NIAID mission and scope includes rapidly responding to infectious disease outbreaks through research, development, and clinical testing of vaccines and therapeutics for emerging and endemic infectious diseases. In 2019, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, mRNA vaccines were quickly developed and evaluated clinically, leading to the eventual FDA-licensure of 2 vaccines used in the prevention of COVID 19. Part of that quick response included rapid manufacturing of nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) to support reagent and vaccine manufacturing and testing, which would be amendable for multiple infectious diseases such as HIV, CoV, Influenza, RSV, among other diseases. Additionally, the LNP formulations developed would support mRNA-LNP encapsulated vaccines for multiple infectious diseases, including but not limited to HIV, CoV, Influenza, and access to clinically available lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations would enable low risk acceleration of vaccine formulations safe for human use.