144 - mRNA Technologies and their Implications in Therapeutics: Q&A with Dr. Martin

In this episode, we interview Dr. Danyelle Martin, a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) at Moderna, in order to learn more about the what, how, and future of mRNA-based therapeutics, and what impact it can have on healthcare and healthcare professionals in general.

Key Concepts

1. Moderna has a “Research Engine” proprietary service that takes an mRNA idea from a web-based digital designer, to a digital ordering system, and finally to a production facility where mRNA constructs are synthesized and quality tested.
2. Pharmaceutics play a big role in the formulation of mRNA particles. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) play an important role for stability and delivery of mRNA cargo. After LNPs and mRNA are co-formulated, the product is purified, filtered, frozen, and subjected to a series of good manufacturing practice (GMP) tests to ensure product quality.
3. COVID-19 vaccines are a small glimpse into the potential future of mRNA-based therapeutics. Moderna’s pipeline includes mRNA vaccines for other viruses (including RSV, influenza, Zika and CMV) as well as therapeutics for non-viral diseases (including a personalized cancer vaccine and a VEGF-A mRNA molecule for myocardial ischemia).