Scoping study for mRNA vaccine nasal spray begins

Macquarie University respiratory scientist Professor Daniela Traini and Professor Pall Thordarson, Director of the UNSW RNA Institute, have started work on a scoping study to deliver mRNA vaccines via nasal spray.

The professors — both core members of the NSW RNA Vaccine Production and Research Network (NSW-RPRN) — have received a $100,000 grant from the NSW Government to work with Sydney-based biotech company Medlab to investigate the use of its NanoCelle system to deliver the vaccine.

NanoCelle is already being used to deliver drugs and other therapies, such as medicinal cannabinoids for pain relief, with the potential to expand to other uses.

While Professor Thordarson is tackling the task of loading the vaccine into the NanoCelle carrier, Professor Traini’s work involves investigating how to ensure it is delivered intact and fully functional within the nasal cavity.

“The current mRNA vaccines, like Pfizer and Moderna, are delivered by intramuscular injection, and have specialised refrigeration requirements,” Traini said.

“If this study is successful, it would possibly allow other mRNA vaccines to be delivered by nasal spray, and it would bring a number of benefits.

“It would ease pressure on the medical workforce as there would no longer be a need for trained personnel to administer vaccinations, there would be no concerns for children or adults who have a fear of needles and medical waste would be cut.

“It may be that the vaccines will not need to be refrigerated in this state, and if so, it could prove to be extremely important for people in remote areas without electricity, where it’s challenging to store the frozen vaccine at the required temperature of minus 70°C.”

While vaccines such as polio and rotavirus are delivered as oral drops, several others, including seasonal flu, are already being successfully administered by nasal spray.

“Oral drops wouldn’t work for mRNA vaccines, as they would be broken down by the digestive process before they could take effect,” Traini said.

“A nasal spray is ideal, as it would allow the vaccine to elicit immunity.”

The initial study is expected to take about six months, with further trials to follow if it is a success.

*Professor Traini is a Professor of respiratory science and NHMRC Investigator at Macquarie University and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. She has spent her career perfecting drug delivery via the lung and the nose, working to improve nebuliser and inhaler treatments for illnesses including asthma, chronic inflammatory lung disease, emphysema and cystic fibrosis, and examining whether nasal delivery could carry therapies direct to the brain, overcoming the protective but sometimes problematic blood/brain barrier.

*Professor Thordarson is the Director of UNSW RNA Institute and his research is in the area of bio-mimetic chemistry with focus on nanomedicine, supramolecular and biophysical chemistry. The institute is part of the NSW-RPRN, a network that includes five NSW and ACT universities (UNSW, UTS, Macquarie University, University of Sydney and ANU), as well as institutions such as the Children’s Medical Research Institute, the Kirby Institute, the Westmead Institute of Medical Research, the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, the Children’s Cancer Institute and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

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