Abstract
The recent success of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has highlighted the value of mRNA technology to combat infectious diseases. Several decades of investigation on mRNA-based approaches hold promise for further application of mRNA in developing vaccines and therapeutics. The core components of mRNA-based vaccines are one or more mRNA sequences, which are synthesized by in vitro transcription and surrounded by a vehicle designed to stably deliver the mRNA across cell membranes. Currently, all approved SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines use a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) as a delivery vehicle. Modifications in both the mRNA and LNP components can optimize mRNA stability, protein expression, and immunogenicity. The technology of mRNA-based vaccines enables a platform-based approach to development, as the same core components are used for each agent. This review discusses the key components of current mRNA-based vaccines and the advantages of the platform approach for vaccine development, mechanisms of mRNA vaccine-associated immune responses, and safety. Current challenges and future directions for mRNA technology are also described, including the expansion of the mRNA platform to develop novel therapeutics.
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