{"technology":{"slug":"mrna-therapies","name":"mRNA Therapies","description":"mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. From COVID-19 vaccines to cancer immunotherapy, personalized medicine, and next-generation mRNA delivery platforms.","discipline":"Medicine / Biotechnology","icon":"💉"},"lastUpdated":"2026-07-21T05:40:23.449Z","articleCount":15,"articles":[{"id":"oa-W2151734986","title":"Photodynamic therapy of cancer: An update","authors":"Patrizia Agostinis, Kristian Berg, Keith A. Cengel, Thomas H. Foster, Albert W. Girotti, Sandra O. Gollnick, Stephen M. Hahn, Michael R. Hamblin, Asta Juzeniene, David Kessel, Mladen Korbelik, Johan Moan, Paweł Mróz, Dominika Nowis, Jacques Piette, Brian C. Wilson, Jakub Gołąb","journal":"CA A Cancer Journal for Clinicians","pubDate":"2011-05-26","doi":"10.3322/caac.20114","abstract":"Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved, minimally invasive therapeutic procedure that can exert a selective cytotoxic activity toward malignant cells. The procedure involves administration of a photosensitizing agent followed by irradiation at a wavelength corresponding to an absorbance band of the sensitizer. In the presence of oxygen, a series of events lead to direct tumor cell death, damage to the microvasculature, and induction of a local inflammatory reaction. Clinical studies revealed that PDT can be curative, particularly in early stage tumors. It can prolong survival in patients with inoperable cancers and significantly improve quality of life. Minimal normal tissue toxicity, negligible systemic effects, greatly reduced long-term morbidity, lack of intrinsic or acquired resistance mechanisms, and excellent cosmetic as well as organ function-sparing effects of this treatment make it a valuable therapeutic option for combination treatments. With a number of recent technological improvements, PDT has the potential to become integrated into the mainstream of cancer treatment.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W2151734986","citationCount":5110,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.3322/caac.20114"},{"id":"oa-W4211024586","title":"Photodynamic Therapy","authors":"Thomas J. Dougherty, Charles J. Gomer, Barbara W. Henderson, G. Jori, David Kessel, Mladen Korbelik, Johan Moan, Qian Peng","journal":"JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute","pubDate":"1998-06-17","doi":"10.1093/jnci/90.12.889","abstract":"Photodynamic therapy involves administration of a tumor-localizing photosensitizing agent, which may require metabolic synthesis (i.e., a prodrug), followed by activation of the agent by light of a specific wavelength. This therapy results in a sequence of photochemical and photobiologic processes that cause irreversible photodamage to tumor tissues. Results from preclinical and clinical studies conducted worldwide over a 25-year period have established photodynamic therapy as a useful treatment approach for some cancers. Since 1993, regulatory approval for photodynamic therapy involving use of a partially purified, commercially available hematoporphyrin derivative compound (Photofrin) in patients with early and advanced stage cancer of the lung, digestive tract, and genitourinary tract has been obtained in Canada, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States. We have attempted to conduct and present a comprehensive review of this rapidly expanding field. Mechanisms of subcellular and tumor localization of photosensitizing agents, as well as of molecular, cellular, and tumor responses associated with photodynamic therapy, are discussed. Technical issues regarding light dosimetry are also considered.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W4211024586","citationCount":4666,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article-pdf/90/12/889/9494907/90-12-889.pdf"},{"id":"oa-W2782708334","title":"mRNA vaccines — a new era in vaccinology","authors":"Norbert Pardi, Michael J. Hogan, Frederick Porter, Drew Weissman","journal":"Nature Reviews Drug Discovery","pubDate":"2018-01-12","doi":"10.1038/nrd.2017.243","abstract":"","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W2782708334","citationCount":4556,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd.2017.243.pdf"},{"id":"oa-W3188940990","title":"Lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery","authors":"Xucheng Hou, Tal Zaks, Róbert Langer, Yizhou Dong","journal":"Nature Reviews Materials","pubDate":"2021-08-10","doi":"10.1038/s41578-021-00358-0","abstract":"","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W3188940990","citationCount":3721,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00358-0.pdf"},{"id":"oa-W3193427089","title":"mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases: principles, delivery and clinical translation","authors":"Namit Chaudhary, Drew Weissman, Kathryn A. Whitehead","journal":"Nature Reviews Drug Discovery","pubDate":"2021-08-25","doi":"10.1038/s41573-021-00283-5","abstract":"","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W3193427089","citationCount":1510,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41573-021-00283-5.pdf"},{"id":"oa-W3148255637","title":"mRNA-lipid nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccines: Structure and stability","authors":"Linde Schoenmaker, Dominik Witzigmann, Jayesh A. Kulkarni, Rein Verbeke, Gideon Kersten, Wim Jiskoot, Daan J.A. Crommelin","journal":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics","pubDate":"2021-04-08","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120586","abstract":"A drawback of the current mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) COVID-19 vaccines is that they have to be stored at (ultra)low temperatures. Understanding the root cause of the instability of these vaccines may help to rationally improve mRNA-LNP product stability and thereby ease the temperature conditions for storage. In this review we discuss proposed structures of mRNA-LNPs, factors that impact mRNA-LNP stability and strategies to optimize mRNA-LNP product stability. Analysis of mRNA-LNP structures reveals that mRNA, the ionizable cationic lipid and water are present in the LNP core. The neutral helper lipids are mainly positioned in the outer, encapsulating, wall. mRNA hydrolysis is the determining factor for mRNA-LNP instability. It is currently unclear how water in the LNP core interacts with the mRNA and to what extent the degradation prone sites of mRNA are protected through a coat of ionizable cationic lipids. To improve the stability of mRNA-LNP vaccines, optimization of the mRNA nucleotide composition should be prioritized. Secondly, a better understanding of the milieu the mRNA is exposed to in the core of LNPs may help to rationalize adjustments to the LNP structure to preserve mRNA integrity. Moreover, drying techniques, such as lyophilization, are promising options still to be explored.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W3148255637","citationCount":1499,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0378517321003914-ga1_lrg.jpg"},{"id":"oa-W3130729977","title":"mRNA vaccine for cancer immunotherapy","authors":"Lei Miao, Yu Zhang, Leaf Huang","journal":"Molecular Cancer","pubDate":"2021-02-25","doi":"10.1186/s12943-021-01335-5","abstract":"mRNA vaccines have become a promising platform for cancer immunotherapy. During vaccination, naked or vehicle loaded mRNA vaccines efficiently express tumor antigens in antigen-presenting cells (APCs), facilitate APC activation and innate/adaptive immune stimulation. mRNA cancer vaccine precedes other conventional vaccine platforms due to high potency, safe administration, rapid development potentials, and cost-effective manufacturing. However, mRNA vaccine applications have been limited by instability, innate immunogenicity, and inefficient in vivo delivery. Appropriate mRNA structure modifications (i.e., codon optimizations, nucleotide modifications, self-amplifying mRNAs, etc.) and formulation methods (i.e., lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), polymers, peptides, etc.) have been investigated to overcome these issues. Tuning the administration routes and co-delivery of multiple mRNA vaccines with other immunotherapeutic agents (e.g., checkpoint inhibitors) have further boosted the host anti-tumor immunity and increased the likelihood of tumor cell eradication. With the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of LNP-loaded mRNA vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19 and the promising therapeutic outcomes of mRNA cancer vaccines achieved in several clinical trials against multiple aggressive solid tumors, we envision the rapid advancing of mRNA vaccines for cancer immunotherapy in the near future. This review provides a detailed overview of the recent progress and existing challenges of mRNA cancer vaccines and future considerations of applying mRNA vaccine for cancer immunotherapies.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W3130729977","citationCount":913,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://molecular-cancer.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12943-021-01335-5"},{"id":"oa-W4229452462","title":"The clinical progress of mRNA vaccines and immunotherapies","authors":"Ann Barbier, Allen Yujie Jiang, Peng Zhang, Richard Wooster, Daniel G. Anderson","journal":"Nature Biotechnology","pubDate":"2022-05-09","doi":"10.1038/s41587-022-01294-2","abstract":"","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W4229452462","citationCount":783,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-022-01294-2.pdf"},{"id":"oa-W3004416358","title":"Opportunities and Challenges in the Delivery of mRNA-Based Vaccines","authors":"Abishek Wadhwa, Anas Aljabbari, Abhijeet Lokras, Camilla Foged, Aneesh Thakur","journal":"Pharmaceutics","pubDate":"2020-01-28","doi":"10.3390/pharmaceutics12020102","abstract":"In the past few years, there has been increasing focus on the use of messenger RNA (mRNA) as a new therapeutic modality. Current clinical efforts encompassing mRNA-based drugs are directed toward infectious disease vaccines, cancer immunotherapies, therapeutic protein replacement therapies, and treatment of genetic diseases. However, challenges that impede the successful translation of these molecules into drugs are that (i) mRNA is a very large molecule, (ii) it is intrinsically unstable and prone to degradation by nucleases, and (iii) it activates the immune system. Although some of these challenges have been partially solved by means of chemical modification of the mRNA, intracellular delivery of mRNA still represents a major hurdle. The clinical translation of mRNA-based therapeutics requires delivery technologies that can ensure stabilization of mRNA under physiological conditions. Here, we (i) review opportunities and challenges in the delivery of mRNA-based therapeutics with a focus on non-viral delivery systems, (ii) present the clinical status of mRNA vaccines, and (iii) highlight perspectives on the future of this promising new type of medicine.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W3004416358","citationCount":572,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/12/2/102/pdf?version=1583032827"},{"id":"oa-W4297102201","title":"Clinical advances and ongoing trials of mRNA vaccines for cancer treatment","authors":"Cathrine Lund Lorentzen, John B.A.G. Haanen, Özcan Met, Inge Marie Svane","journal":"The Lancet Oncology","pubDate":"2022-09-26","doi":"10.1016/s1470-2045(22)00372-2","abstract":"","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W4297102201","citationCount":512,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"http://www.thelancet.com/article/S1470204522003722/pdf"},{"id":"oa-W3119364115","title":"Self-assembled mRNA vaccines","authors":"Jeonghwan Kim, Yulia Eygeris, Mohit Gupta, Gaurav Sahay","journal":"Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews","pubDate":"2021-01-02","doi":"10.1016/j.addr.2020.12.014","abstract":"","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W3119364115","citationCount":501,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/7837307"},{"id":"oa-W3139490202","title":"Immunogenicity and safety of anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in patients with chronic inflammatory conditions and immunosuppressive therapy in a monocentric cohort","authors":"Ulf Geisen, Dennis K Berner, Florian Tran, Melike Sümbül, Lena Vullriede, Maria Ciripoi, Hayley M Reid, Annika Schaffarzyk, Ann Carolin Longardt, Jeanette Franzenburg, Paula Hoff, Jan Henrik Schirmer, Rainald Zeuner, Anette Friedrichs, Andrea Steinbach, Christine Knies, Robert Markewitz, Peter J. Morrison, Sascha Gerdes, Stefan Schreiber, Bimba F. Hoyer","journal":"Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases","pubDate":"2021-03-24","doi":"10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-220272","abstract":"INTRODUCTION: In light of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, protecting vulnerable groups has become a high priority. Persons at risk of severe disease, for example, those receiving immunosuppressive therapies for chronic inflammatory cdiseases (CIDs), are prioritised for vaccination. However, data concerning generation of protective antibody titres in immunosuppressed patients are scarce. Additionally, mRNA vaccines represent a new vaccine technology leading to increased insecurity especially in patients with CID. OBJECTIVE: Here we present for the first time, data on the efficacy and safety of anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in a cohort of immunosuppressed patients as compared with healthy controls. METHODS: 42 healthy controls and 26 patients with CID were included in this study (mean age 37.5 vs 50.5 years). Immunisations were performed according to national guidelines with mRNA vaccines. Antibody titres were assessed by ELISA before initial vaccination and 7 days after secondary vaccination. Disease activity and side effects were assessed prior to and 7 days after both vaccinations. RESULTS: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies as well as neutralising activity could be detected in all study participants. IgG titres were significantly lower in patients as compared with controls (2053 binding antibody units (BAU)/mL ±1218 vs 2685±1102). Side effects were comparable in both groups. No severe adverse effects were observed, and no patients experienced a disease flare. CONCLUSION: We show that SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines lead to development of antibodies in immunosuppressed patients without considerable side effects or induction of disease flares. Despite the small size of this cohort, we were able to demonstrate the efficiency and safety of mRNA vaccines in our cohort.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W3139490202","citationCount":376,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://ard.bmj.com/content/annrheumdis/80/10/1306.full.pdf"},{"id":"oa-W3158831599","title":"Humoral immune response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies","authors":"Anat Achiron, Mathilda Mandel, Sapir Dreyer-Alster, Gil Harari, David Magalashvili, Polina Sonis, Mark Dolev, Shay Menascu, Shlomo Flechter, Rina Falb, Michael Gurevich","journal":"Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders","pubDate":"2021-01-01","doi":"10.1177/17562864211012835","abstract":"BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society and other expert organizations recommended that all patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) should be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, the effect of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on the efficacy to mount an appropriate immune response is unknown. We aimed to characterize humoral immunity in mRNA-COVID-19 MS vaccinees treated with high-efficacy DMTs. METHODS: We measured SARS-CoV-2 IgG response using anti-spike protein-based serology (EUROIMMUN) in 125 MS patients vaccinated with BNT162b2-COVID-19 vaccine 1 month after the second dose. Patients were either untreated or under treatment with fingolimod, cladribine, or ocrelizumab. A group of healthy subjects similarly vaccinated served as control. The percent of subjects that developed protective antibodies, the titer, and the time from the last dosing were evaluated. RESULTS: = 26), respectively. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titer was high in healthy subjects, untreated MS patients, and MS patients under cladribine treatment, within 29.5-55 days after the second vaccine dose. Only 22.7% of patients treated with ocrelizumab developed humoral IgG response irrespective to normal absolute lymphocyte count. Most fingolimod-treated MS patients had very low lymphocyte count and failed to develop SARS-COV-2 antibodies. Age, disease duration, and time from the last dosing did not affect humoral response to COVID-19 vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Cladribine treatment does not impair humoral response to COVID-19 vaccination. We recommend postponing ocrelizumab treatment in MS patients willing to be vaccinated as a protective humoral response can be expected only in some. We do not recommend vaccinating MS patients treated with fingolimod as a protective humoral response is not expected.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W3158831599","citationCount":362,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17562864211012835"},{"id":"oa-W4386116914","title":"mRNA vaccine in cancer therapy: Current advance and future outlook","authors":"Youhuai Li, Mina Wang, Xueqiang Peng, Yingying Yang, Qishuang Chen, Jiaxing Liu, Qing‐Bai She, Jichao Tan, Chuyuan Lou, Zehuan Liao, Xuexin Li","journal":"Clinical and Translational Medicine","pubDate":"2023-08-01","doi":"10.1002/ctm2.1384","abstract":"Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines are a relatively new class of vaccines that have shown great promise in the immunotherapy of a wide variety of infectious diseases and cancer. In the past 2 years, SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines have contributed tremendously against SARS-CoV2, which has prompted the arrival of the mRNA vaccine research boom, especially in the research of cancer vaccines. Compared with conventional cancer vaccines, mRNA vaccines have significant advantages, including efficient production of protective immune responses, relatively low side effects and lower cost of acquisition. In this review, we elaborated on the development of cancer vaccines and mRNA cancer vaccines, as well as the potential biological mechanisms of mRNA cancer vaccines and the latest progress in various tumour treatments, and discussed the challenges and future directions for the field.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W4386116914","citationCount":133,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/ctm2.1384"},{"id":"oa-W4410129890","title":"Advances in mRNA vaccine therapy for breast cancer research","authors":"Jiaying Li, Ruiyuan Jiang, Jia Wang, Xiaojia Wang","journal":"Discover Oncology","pubDate":"2025-05-06","doi":"10.1007/s12672-025-02542-y","abstract":"Breast cancer represents the most prevalent cancer among women globally, constituting approximately 30% of newly diagnosed female malignancies and serving as the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality, accounting for 11.6% of deaths. Despite notable advancements in survival rates and quality of life for breast cancer patients over recent decades-achieved through interventions such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapy-there remains an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. This necessity arises from challenges associated with recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines at an unprecedented pace, and as a novel form of precision immunotherapy, mRNA vaccines are increasingly being recognized for their potential in cancer treatment. mRNA vaccines efficiently produce antigens within the cytoplasm, specifically activating the immune system to target tumor cells while minimizing the risk of T-cell tolerance. Therefore, mRNA vaccines have emerged as a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy. This review systematically examines the principles, mechanisms, advantages, key targets, and recent progress in mRNA vaccine therapy for breast cancer. Furthermore, it discusses current challenges and suggests potential directions for future research.","tldr":"","source":"OpenAlex","sourceUrl":"https://openalex.org/W4410129890","citationCount":13,"isOpenAccess":true,"pdfUrl":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12672-025-02542-y.pdf"}],"links":{"web":"https://science-database.com/technology/mrna-therapies","llms_txt":"https://science-database.com/technology/mrna-therapies/llms.txt","api":"https://science-database.com/api/v1/technology/mrna-therapies"}}