Scientists show that mRNA therapy can be delivered as a capsule

An oral capsule can efficiently deliver liquid mRNA therapy directly to the gut, a possible new delivery mechanism for mRNA vaccines, a new study finds.

In the study published in Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, researchers said they successfully used RNACap, a capsule engineered to prevent stomach acids from degrading liquid mRNA therapy to treat inflammatory bowel disease. Once the capsule was in the gut, they used normal stomach contractions to release the mRNA therapy. 

“This shows the massive appetite and potential for delivery of mRNA therapeutics,” said Jacob Becraft, CEO of Strand Therapeutics, an early-stage biotech developing new mRNA therapies. “Oral delivery would be a huge win for delivery to the GI.” Becraft was not involved in the study.

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