A review of technological developments in lipid nanoparticle application for mRNA vaccination

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology is critical to the advancement of mRNA vaccines. However, most studies focus on technical aspects and neglect the patent landscape. Moreover, there is a lack of differentiation of LNP technology differences among mRNA, mRNA vaccines, and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, leading to confusing comparisons. This study fills this gap by analyzing LNP technology in academic journals and patents for mRNA, mRNA vaccines, and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. The results show (1) academic impact on journal articles and patents, but no direct positive correlation; (2) the USA leads in academic research and patents, with China following closely; and (3) many cited articles have sponsors, indicating the importance of industry-university collaboration. This research aids strategic planning in government, academia, and industry, by providing trend analysis of LNP technology in journals and patents.