From Prevention to Personalized Treatment: The Expanding Role of Nucleic Acid Delivery
Nucleic acid delivery technology is entering an exciting new phase. Recent advances are demonstrating its potential far beyond a single application—from seasonal influenza vaccines to highly personalized cancer treatments designed around an individual patient’s tumor.
The types of nucleic acid that can be delivered include mRNA, siRNA, saRNA, circRNA, pDNA, and CRISPR components (Cas9 mRNA/sgRNA).
Two recent developments highlight this progress: the first FDA-approved mRNA influenza vaccine and promising Phase 3 results for an individualized mRNA-based treatment for melanoma.
Personalized Cancer Treatment: A Vaccine Made for One Patient
One of the most compelling areas of mRNA research is personalized cancer treatment.
In August 2026, Moderna and Merck announced positive Phase 3 results from the INTerpath-001 trial, evaluating intismeran autogene (V940/mRNA-4157) in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in patients with completely resected high-risk melanoma.
What makes this approach particularly interesting is its personalization. Instead of giving every patient the same treatment, the therapy is designed based on the unique mutations identified in an individual patient’s tumor. The resulting mRNA therapy is intended to help the immune system recognize tumor-specific neoantigens and target cancer cells carrying them.
The Phase 3 study met its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival and a key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival compared with KEYTRUDA alone. Moderna and Merck described the results as the first positive Phase 3 readout for an individualized neo-antigen therapy and an mRNA-based cancer therapy. Detailed results are expected to be presented at a future medical meeting.
Earlier Phase 2b results had already demonstrated encouraging outcomes, supporting continued development of this highly personalized approach.
Another Milestone: FDA Approval of an mRNA Flu Vaccine
The potential of mRNA is also expanding in infectious disease.
In August 2026, the FDA approved Moderna’s MFLUSIVA, an mRNA influenza vaccine for adults 50 years of age and older—the first FDA-approved influenza vaccine based on mRNA technology.
While influenza vaccination and personalized cancer treatment are very different applications, together they illustrate something important: mRNA is becoming an increasingly versatile platform.
The future may include both medicines produced for large patient populations and highly individualized treatments designed for a single patient.
New Medicines Need New Manufacturing Approaches
As mRNA therapeutics become more sophisticated and personalized, the technologies used to manufacture them must evolve as well.
For many nucleic acid delivery applications, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are critical delivery vehicles. Manufacturing these nanoparticles requires precise control over particle formation and important product characteristics while maintaining consistency and scalability.
This is where DIANT® technology can contribute.
DIANT’s continuous nanoparticle manufacturing technology is designed to enable precise, reproducible and scalable nanoparticle production, including LNPs used for nucleic acid delivery. DIANT® Jet technology provides controlled particle formation and can support the transition from early development toward larger-scale manufacturing.
As industry moves toward more advanced—and increasingly personalized—medicines, flexible manufacturing technologies may become just as important as the therapeutic innovations themselves.
The Future Is Becoming More Personal
The recent progress in melanoma and influenza demonstrates how rapidly the nucleic acid field continues to evolve.
Perhaps most exciting is the possibility of moving from broadly applicable medicines toward treatments informed by the biology of an individual patient.
At DIANT Pharma, we are advancing continuous nanoparticle manufacturing technologies designed to support the evolving needs of mRNA and nanoparticle-based medicines—and help innovators turn promising science into scalable manufacturing processes.
Types of Nucleic Acid Technologies that Benefit from Nanoparticle Delivery
mRNA — the most clinically advanced use (COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech; also in development for other vaccines, protein-replacement therapies, and cancer immunotherapies)
siRNA (small interfering RNA) — Onpattro (patisiran) was the first FDA-approved LNP product, delivering siRNA for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis
saRNA (self-amplifying RNA) — encodes its own replicase, so lower doses can achieve durable expression; in development for vaccines and protein therapies
circRNA (circular RNA) — an emerging modality offering greater stability and longer protein expression than linear mRNA
pDNA (plasmid DNA) — used for DNA vaccines and gene therapy, though LNP delivery of pDNA is less common than for RNA due to size/packaging challenges
CRISPR components (mRNA + gRNA, or ribonucleoprotein) — e.g., Intellia’s NTLA-2001, which co-delivers Cas9 mRNA and a single-guide RNA (sgRNA) for in vivo gene editing
ASOs (antisense oligonucleotides) — less commonly LNP-formulated (often given as conjugates like GalNAc instead), but LNP delivery has been explored, especially for tissues beyond the liver
miRNA mimics/inhibitors (antagomirs) — used to modulate microRNA activity in oncology and other disease areas
lncRNA (long non-coding RNA) — an earlier-stage research application
References
- 1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. MFLUSIVA (Influenza Vaccine, mRNA). FDA, 2026.
- 2. Moderna and Merck. Phase 3 INTerpath-001 Trial of Intismeran Autogene Plus KEYTRUDA Met Endpoints of Recurrence-Free Survival and Distant Metastasis-Free Survival in Resected Melanoma. August 2026.
- 3. Weber JS, et al. Individualised neoantigen therapy mRNA-4157 (V940) plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab monotherapy in resected melanoma (KEYNOTE-942): a randomised, phase 2b study. The Lancet. 2024.
Disclaimer
This content is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended for, and should not be relied upon for, clinical, diagnostic, treatment, or regulatory decision-making purposes. DIANT Pharma is not affiliated with, and does not endorse or claim endorsement by, any of the companies, products, or trademarks named in this document; all such names are the property of their respective owners and are referenced solely for informational purposes.