Chemical engineer, scientist, and Moderna co-founder Robert Langer shared his vision on the latest breakthroughs and challenges in various biomedical technologies, including messenger RNA (mRNA) used in vaccines and treatments, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering.

Langer was one of the keynote speakers at the 2025 Board of Directors Meeting of Tecnológico de Monterrey, held from February 16 to 18 at the Monterrey campus. The event was titled Towards 2030: Education That Transforms Realities.

In an interview, the MIT professor—who leads the renowned Langer Lab—discussed some of the cutting-edge research in biotechnology and materials science he has worked on, such as using mRNA technology to treat cancer and other diseases.

As part of this research, Langer developed nanoparticles that help transport mRNA through the human body without breaking down, using materials like polymers and lipids.

Ongoing Trials with mRNA Technology

Following mRNA vaccines’ crucial role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, research teams are now working to refine and expand this technology for new treatments against various diseases.

“It’s been approved for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), and it’s in many clinical trials for various treatments, cancer, rare diseases, and cystic fibrosis. There are many different trials and other vaccines: norovirus, flu… It’s something that people have taken, and probably many more people will use it for years to come to treat different diseases,” he explained.

Reflecting on the lessons learned from the rapid development of mRNA vaccines during the pandemic—and looking ahead to future health emergencies—he emphasized the importance of evaluating the risk-reward balance, particularly regarding how long treatments take to gain approval.

While acknowledging that fast-tracking the process is a complex decision, he pointed to the U.S. Operation Warp Speed as an example. The initiative made a significant financial investment in companies developing vaccines and then accelerated regulatory approvals, ensuring clinical trials confirmed their safety. This approach ultimately helped save millions of lives.

Challenges in Drug Delivery

For years, Robert Langer has been developing controlled drug delivery systems that use biodegradable lipids and polymers to encapsulate medications inside the human body. This approach aims to create more precise treatments with fewer side effects for patients with conditions such as cancer and neurological disorders.

The researcher explained that one of his lab’s key areas of study focuses on using nanoparticles. This technology allows medications to be explicitly targeted to specific cells—such as cancer cells in tumors—without harming healthy ones.

One of the most significant challenges researchers face is ensuring that these nanoparticles can successfully cross biological barriers, such as the intestine or the blood-brain barrier so that drugs can be released at the right place and time within the body. Another hurdle he mentioned is directing nanoparticles to specific cells beyond the liver, which has led to ongoing efforts to improve targeting methods.

Among the projects developed in his lab is the creation of drugs that help inhibit neovascularization—the formation of new blood vessels in tumors (which supply them with oxygen) and in cardiovascular diseases—without affecting pre-existing blood vessels.

Tissue Engineering, 3D Printing, and Artificial Intelligence

Another central research area for the MIT professor is tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. His work involves using materials like biodegradable polymers and nanofibers as scaffolds to support cell growth and form functional tissues.

Langer explained that there are already approved studies on developing skin and blood vessels, with many more currently in clinical trials. Additionally, significant progress is being made in using these technologies alongside 3D printing to create organs and tissue-on-a-chip models.

“If you could have human tissues on a chip, in vitro, that really mimic the human condition, you could do thousands of experiments. So just as an example, you could test an enormous number of chemical structures. You could see what might get some approach, you know, good results. And that relates to artificial intelligence. You can start to analyze which ones work, which ones don’t, and make predictions about what structures might work in the future,” he said.

The professor added that AI could also be a game-changer in analyzing studies that generate large volumes of data, images, and other elements—ultimately significantly impacting diagnostic processes.

Challenges in an Evolving Field of Biomedicine

Langer also discussed the challenges biomedicine faces when translating laboratory discoveries into clinical applications, particularly regulatory and financial barriers.

Regarding regulatory hurdles, he acknowledged that they take time and are not easy to accelerate—but for a crucial reason: ensuring safety. “They want to make sure that whatever you do with a new treatment that many humans are going to use, that is really safe,” he explained.

On the financial side, he highlighted that developing a new drug is extremely expensive and requires substantial investment at every stage. Securing funding is not always easy, making it a significant challenge for researchers and companies.

To make medications more accessible, he emphasized the importance of seeking support. For example, Langer Lab collaborates with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on various health innovation projects, including nutrition and vaccines.

“In the future, we’ll have better vaccines and better treatments for brain disease, cancer, and rare diseases. I expect there’ll be more cellular therapies and more genetic therapies than there are now,” Langer said.

Were you interested in this story? Do you want to publish it? Contact our content editor to learn more about marianaleonm@tec.mx