Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan in collaboration with FUJIFILM have developed a novel way of delivering circular RNA (cirRNA) into cells, paving way for longer-lasting mRNA-based therapeutics including cancer vaccines and GLP-1 obesity treatments.

>Solving the problem of mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles accumulating in the liver and causing unintended expression of pharmacologically active proteins

>By coating the walls of intrahepatic capillaries (liver sinusoidal walls), the accumulation of lipid nanoparticles in the liver is prevented (demonstrated in animal studies)

>Improved efficacy and safety in infectious prevention vaccines, cancer treatment vaccines, and cytokine therapies

>Substances with established clinical safety profiles are used as coating agents (enabling rapid clinical trials)

>Published online in ACS Nano: http://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c08403

A research team led by Director KIM V. Narry at the Center for RNA Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has discovered compact viral RNA elements that can make mRNA more stable and increase protein production. These elements could provide a simple way to develop longer-lasting and more efficient mRNA technologies for vaccines and other RNA-based therapeutics. The study also uncovered an unexpected mechanism by which viruses recruit cellular enzymes to protect their RNA from degradation.

In a pair of preclinical studies each published in Science Translational Medicine on August 12, 2026, scientists across Scripps Research, the University of Texas Medical Branch and IAVI found that increasing the “avidity”—or overall binding strength—of vaccine nanoparticles to specific white blood cells promotes stronger and more durable immune responses in mice. 

Bacteria naturally release microscopic particles known as bacterial extracellular vesicles. This review considers how these vesicles could be adapted for precision cancer medicine, from carrying drugs and activating immune responses to limiting metastasis and identifying cancer biomarkers. It also examines the practical obstacles ahead, including inconsistent production, safety risks, contamination and the lack of shared manufacturing and quality standards.