Technology Description

Dr. Rice at the University of Iowa has developed a double stranded mRNA (ds mRNA) that is metabolically more stable, allowing for enhanced efficacy of vaccines. These ds mRNAs are efficiently translated into protein and can be used to treat a variety of diseases, including COVID-19. ds mRNA shows a 1000-fold improvement in stability when digested with RNAse A, compared to single stranded (ss) mRNA. Stability can be further improved upon by optimizing the LNP formulation and base substitution in the RNA strands to create functionalized ds mRNA. When tested in vivo, ds mRNA shows increased luciferase expression in the liver of mice compared to ss mRNA, and ds RNA LNP show improved stability when stored at -70C for 12 hours, compared to leading LNP vaccines. The new ds mRNA will lead to greater immune response and improved stability and shelf life, overcoming many pitfalls of the current RNA LNP vaccines.

• Superior stability for greater long-term storage.
• Can be utilized for a variety of diseases including COVID-19 and other vaccine preventable diseases.
• Self-adjuvanting to boost the T-cell immune response.