How lipid nanoparticles carrying vaccines release their cargo

A study from FAU has shown that lipid nanoparticles restructure their membrane significantly after being absorbed into a cell and ending up in an acidic environment. Vaccines and other medicines are often packed in little fat droplets, or lipids. In this form, they are absorbed by cells and release their "cargo" once they are there. The trigger is a change in the pH value in the droplet's surroundings. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have now created a computer simulation of what exactly happens. Their findings may help to optimize the release of the active substances. The results have been published in the journal Small.