Vaccines
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Researchers say flu shot connected to 40% reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease
by Walter Einenkel 2/6/22 DAILY KOS
One of the many tragic turns the politicization of COVID-19 and our country’s response to it has been the deleterious effect it has had on public health consensus. With the rise in privatization, greed, and a withering government response over the decades, the public’s trust in medicine and science as entities above politics and money has dwindled. The novel coronavirus pandemic, as it did with everything else, expedited the trend of deteriorating public trust.
Here is how we know that vaccines do not cause autism
By Matthew Herper 2/03/2025 STAT
“If RFK Jr. uses his perch as HHS secretary to discourage parents from getting their children inoculated with the MMR vaccine, severe negative repercussions could result, including measles outbreaks and childhood deaths,” Prasad wrote. “This is not a good policy.”
Infamous paper that popularized unproven COVID-19 treatment finally retracted
by Cathleen O’Grady 12/17/24 Science
A 2020 paper that sparked widespread enthusiasm for hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment was retracted today, Then-IHU Director Didier Raoult, the paper’s senior author, enthused about the promise of the drug on social media and TV, leading to a wave of hype, including from then-U.S. President Donald Trump. But scientists immediately raised concerns about the paper, noting the sample size of only 36 patients and the unusually short peer review time: The paper was submitted on 16 March 2020 and published 4 days later.
Antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines could help tackle dementia, study suggests
by Andrew Gregory 21/1/25 The Guardian
Antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines could be used to tackle dementia, according to experts, who say repurposing drugs approved for other conditions could dramatically speed up the hunt for a cure.
Emerging prospects of mRNA cancer vaccines: mechanisms, formulations, and challenges in cancer immunotherapy
by Umm E. LailaUmm E. LailaWang AnWang AnZhi-Xiang Xu Zhi-Xiang Xu 24/11/2024 Frontiers
Cancer remains a significant global health challenge, with estimates projecting 34 million new cases by 2070 (1). Despite advancements in treatment, current therapies exhibit limitations, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions for cancer treatment. (2). The concept of mRNA cancer vaccines has emerged as a promising avenue for immunotherapy, following the success of mRNA technology in producing effective COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. (3–6). Immunotherapy, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T therapies, have revolutionized cancer treatment by harnessing the power of the immune system. (7). Recently, these approaches, combined with mRNA vaccines, offer a personalized and effective strategy against cancer, providing a more targeted approach
mRNA vaccines for HIV trigger strong immune response in people
by Smriti Mallapaty 1/8/25 nature
The trial is only the third to test mRNA vaccines against HIV. “These are the first studies, so they’re very, very important,” says infectious-disease physician Sharon Lewin, who heads the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia.
Addressing the Cold Reality of mRNA Vaccine Stability
by Daan J.A. Crommelin 3/21 ScienceDirect
As mRNA vaccines became the frontrunners in late-stage clinical trials to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges surrounding their formulation and stability became readily apparent. In this commentary, we first describe company proposals, based on available public information, for the (frozen) storage of mRNA vaccine drug products across the vaccine supply chain.
RNA vaccines articles from across Nature Portfolio
RNA vaccines are composed of the nucleic acid RNA, which encode antigen genes of an infectious agent. When administered to host cells, the RNA is translated into protein antigens that elicit protective immunity against the infectious agent.
Antibody Response to 2-Dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Series in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients
In contrast to immunocompetent participants in vaccine trials,1,2 a low proportion (17%) of solid organ transplant recipients mounted a positive antibody response to the first dose of SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, with those receiving anti–metabolite maintenance immunosuppression less likely to respond.3 In this study, we assessed antibody response after the second dose.
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine design enabled by prototype pathogen preparedness
by Kizzmekia S. Corbett 5/8/20 nature
A vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is needed to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Structural studies have led to the development of mutations that stabilize Betacoronavirus spike proteins in the prefusion state, improving their expression and increasing immunogenicity1.
How political attacks could crush the mRNA vaccine revolution
The day after Donald Trump moved back into the White House in January, he celebrated a US$500-billion private-sector investment in artificial intelligence (AI) with a high-profile announcement in the Roosevelt Room. The new president looked on as technology billionaire Larry Ellison highlighted one of the initiative’s most transformative goals: using messenger RNA vaccines to transform cancer treatments.
Development of a nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine against clade 2.3.4.4b H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
by Colleen Furey 23/5/24 nature communications
mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccines would be useful during an influenza virus pandemic since they can be produced rapidly and do not require the generation of egg-adapted vaccine seed stocks.
mRNA vaccines take on immune tolerance
by Christine M. Wardell 30/3/21 nature biotechnology
A tolerizing mRNA vaccine prevents autoimmune disease in mice.
mRNA vaccine-elicited antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and circulating variants
Plasma IgM, IgG and IgA responses to SARS-CoV-2 S and RBD were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)5,6.
Preclinical data from SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine
by Nicolas Vabret 22/6/20 nature reviews immunology
Reflecting the urgency to develop prophylactic approaches against COVID-19, several vaccine candidates have entered clinical trials before showing efficacy in animal models. In this preprint, Corbett et al.
Systems vaccinology of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in humans
by Prabhu S. Arunachalam 12/7/21 nature
The emergency use authorization of two mRNA vaccines in less than a year from the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 represents a landmark in vaccinology1,2. Yet, how mRNA vaccines stimulate the immune system to elicit protective immune responses is unknown. Here we used a systems vaccinology approach to comprehensively profile the innate and adaptive immune responses of 56 healthy volunteers who were vaccinated with the Pfizer–BioNTech mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2).
Trends in Biotechnology
by Jerome D.G. Comes 11/23 ScienceDirect
The next step in mRNA vaccine design is the application of viral-based self-amplifying mRNAs (replicons) that provide long-lasting humoral and cellular immune responses upon single, low-dose immunization.
Clinical advances of mRNA vaccines for cancer immunotherapy
by Alexey V. Yaremenko 10/1/25 ScienceDirect
The development of mRNA vaccines represents a significant advancement in cancer treatment, with more than 120 clinical trials to date demonstrating their potential across various malignancies, including lung, breast, prostate, melanoma, and more challenging cancers such as pancreatic and brain tumors.
Cancer mRNA vaccines: clinical advances and future opportunities
by Elias J. Sayour 17/5/24 nature reviews
mRNA vaccines have been revolutionary in terms of their rapid development and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this technology has considerable potential for application to the treatment of cancer. Compared with traditional cancer vaccines based on proteins or peptides, mRNA vaccines reconcile the needs for both personalization and commercialization in a manner that is unique to each patient but not beholden to their HLA haplotype.
mRNA vaccines — a new era in vaccinology
by Norbert Pardi 12/1/18 nature reviews
mRNA vaccines represent a promising alternative to conventional vaccine approaches because of their high potency, capacity for rapid development and potential for low-cost manufacture and safe administration. However, their application has until recently been restricted by the instability and inefficient in vivo delivery of mRNA.
Key considerations for a prostate cancer mRNA vaccine
by Guanjie Lin 4/25 ScienceDirect
Prostate cancer has the second highest cancer mortality rate in the UK in males. Early prostate cancer is typically asymptomatic, with diagnosis at a locally advanced or metastatic stage. In addition, the inherent heterogeneity of prostate cancer tumours differs significantly in terms of genetic, molecular, and histological features. The successful treatment of prostate cancer is therefore exceedingly challenging. Immunotherapies, particularly therapeutic vaccines, have been widely used in preclinical and clinical studies to treat various cancers.
Personalized RNA neoantigen vaccines stimulate T cells in pancreatic cancer
by Luis A. Rojas 10/5/23 nature
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is lethal in 88% of patients1, yet harbours mutation-derived T cell neoantigens that are suitable for vaccines 2,3. Here in a phase I trial of adjuvant autogene cevumeran, an individualized neoantigen vaccine based on uridine mRNA–lipoplex nanoparticles, we synthesized mRNA neoantigen vaccines in real time from surgically resected PDAC tumours.
mRNA technology helps reinvigorate the hunt for cancer vaccines
by Bianca Nogrady 23/4/25 nature
The path to therapeutic cancer vaccines is strewn with disappointment. In the 20-year history of clinical trials for vaccines that are designed to treat existing cancer by stimulating the immune system to attack it, “all of them pretty much failed”, says Kavitha Yaddanapudi, an immunologist at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Individualized mRNA cancer vaccines make strides
by Cormac Sheridan 10/6/25 nature biotechnology
The first cancer vaccines matched to a person’s unique tumor neoantigens are forging ahead, with expectations running high as the field awaits results from the first pivotal trial.
Comb-structured mRNA vaccine tethered with short double-stranded RNA adjuvants maximizes cellular immunity for cancer treatment
by Theofilus A. Tockary 10/7/23 PNAS
Integrating immunostimulating activity into mRNA (Messenger RNA) packaging materials shows promise in designing nanoformulations for mRNA vaccines, enabling codelivery of antigen-encoding mRNA and adjuvants into the same antigen-presenting cells in a simple formulation. However, this orthodox approach requires elaborative optimization of the packaging materials to obtain mRNA delivery efficiency and adjuvant activity simultaneously.
RNA neoantigen vaccines prime long-lived CD8+ T cells in pancreatic cancer
by Zachary Sethna 19/2/25 nature
A fundamental challenge for cancer vaccines is to generate long-lived functional T cells that are specific for tumour antigens. Here we find that mRNA–lipoplex vaccines against somatic mutation-derived neoantigens may solve this challenge in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a lethal cancer with few mutations.
Recent advances in mRNA cancer vaccines: meeting challenges and embracing opportunities
Since the successful application of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in preventing COVID-19, researchers have been striving to develop mRNA vaccines for clinical use, including those exploited for anti-tumor therapy. mRNA cancer vaccines have emerged as a promising novel approach to cancer immunotherapy, offering high specificity, better efficacy, and fewer side effects compared to traditional treatments. Multiple therapeutic mRNA cancer vaccines are being evaluated in preclinical and clinical trials, with promising early-phase results. However, the development of these vaccines faces various challenges, such as tumor heterogeneity, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and practical obstacles like vaccine administration methods and evaluation systems for clinical application.
An mRNA vaccine to treat pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is lethal in 88% of patients1, yet harbours mutation-derived T cell neoantigens that are suitable for vaccines 2,3 …
mRNA vaccine in gastrointestinal tumors: Immunomodulatory effects and immunotherapy
by Ao Zhang 10/23 ScienceDirect
Gastrointestinal tumors remain a significant healthcare burden worldwide, necessitating the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. mRNA vaccines have emerged as a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy, harnessing the immune system's potential to recognize and eliminate tumor cells. mRNA vaccines offer several advantages, including their ability to elicit both innate and adaptive immune responses, ease of production, and adaptability to different tumor types.
mRNA Vaccines: The Dawn of a New Era of Cancer Immunotherapy
mRNA therapy is a novel anticancer strategy based on in vitro transcription (IVT), which has potential for the treatment of malignant tumors. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 21st century has promoted the application of mRNA technologies in SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and there has been a great deal of interest in the research and development of mRNA cancer vaccines. There has been progress in a number of key technologies, including mRNA production strategies, delivery systems, antitumor immune strategies, etc.
mRNA vaccines for prostate cancer: A novel promising immunotherapy
by Yaxiong Tang 7/25 ScienceDirect
The treatment of advanced prostate cancer (PCa) primarily based on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT); however, patients inevitably progress to the castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) stage. Despite the recent advancements in CRPC treatment with novel endocrine drugs that further inhibit androgen receptor signaling, resistance ultimately develops, underscoring the urgent need for new effective therapeutic strategies.
Combination therapy of KRAS G12V mRNA vaccine and pembrolizumab: clinical benefit in patients with advanced solid tumors
by Xinjing Wang 24/6/24 Cell Research
mRNA-based therapeutics have gained the public’s attention in the post-COVID era. The application of mRNA vaccines is not limited to infectious diseases but extends to broader areas, such as cancers and rare genetic disorders.1,2,3 This first-in-human study demonstrated the safety and preliminary efficacy of mRNA vaccines targeting multiple neoantigens in 13 patients with advanced melanoma.
The promise of mRNA vaccines in cancer treatment: Technology, innovations, applications, and future directions
by Weixi Tang 8/25 ScienceDirect
Tumor is a complex disease that seriously threatens human health. Traditional treatment methods have many limitations. In recent years, with the in-depth study of tumor immune mechanisms, the mRNA vaccine, as an innovative immunotherapy strategy, has attracted wide attention due to its unique advantages and great potential.
Lipid nanoparticle-mediated lymph node–targeting delivery of mRNA cancer vaccine elicits robust CD8+ T cell response
Current messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in the clinic were reported to induce side effects in the liver, such as reversible hepatic damages and T cell–dominant immune-mediated hepatitis, which might be caused by the undesired expression of antigens in the liver.
An mRNA cancer vaccine may offer long-term protection
by Meghan Rosen 21/3/25 ScienceNews
In a small clinical trial, some patients who received the vaccine remained cancer-free for more than three years, researchers reported February 19 in Nature.
Lipid nanoparticle-based mRNA vaccines in cancers: Current advances and future prospects
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines constitute an emerging therapeutic method with the advantages of high safety and efficiency as well as easy synthesis; thus, they have been widely used in various human diseases, especially in malignant cancers. However, the mRNA vaccine technology has some limitations, such as instability and low transitive efficiency in vivo, which greatly restrict its application. The development of nanotechnology in the biomedical field offers new strategies and prospects for the early diagnosis and treatment of human cancers.
Current mRNA-based vaccine strategies for glioma treatment
by Mengqian Mao 10/24 ScienceDirect
Gliomas are one of the most aggressive types of brain tumors and are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Currently, conventional treatments for gliomas such as surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have limited effectiveness, and new approaches are needed to improve patient outcomes.
mRNA cancer vaccines: Advances, trends and challenges
Patients exhibit good tolerance to messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, and the choice of encoded molecules is flexible and diverse. These vaccines can be engineered to express full-length antigens containing multiple epitopes without major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction, are relatively easy to control and can be rapidly mass produced. In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, which has generated enthusiasm for mRNA vaccine research and development.
An mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer designed by applying in silico immunoinformatics and reverse vaccinology approaches
by Md. Habib Ullah Masum 8/7/24 PLOS One
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent pancreatic cancer, which is considered a significant global health concern. Chemotherapy and surgery are the mainstays of current pancreatic cancer treatments; however, a few cases are suitable for surgery, and most of the cases will experience recurrent episodes. Compared to DNA or peptide vaccines, mRNA vaccines for pancreatic cancer have more promise because of their delivery, enhanced immune responses, and lower proneness to mutation.
mRNA: A promising platform for cancer immunotherapy
by Byoungjae Kong 8/23 ScienceDirect
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is now in the limelight as a powerful tool for treating various human diseases, especially malignant tumors, thanks to the remarkable clinical outcomes of mRNA vaccines using lipid nanoparticle technology during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three decades of messenger RNA vaccine development
by Rein Verbeke 10/19 ScienceDirect
In the early nineties, pioneering steps were taken in the use of mRNA as a therapeutic tool for vaccination. In the following decades, an improved understanding of the mRNA pharmacology, together with novel insights in immunology have positioned mRNA-based technologies as next-generation vaccines.
Eliciting antitumor immunity via therapeutic cancer vaccines
Therapeutic cancer vaccines aim to expand and activate antigen-specific T cells for the targeted elimination of cancer cells. While early clinical trials faced challenges due to suboptimal antigen-specific T-cell activation, recent advancements in antigen discovery and vaccine platform engineering have revitalized the field.
Advances and prospects of mRNA vaccines in cancer immunotherapy
by Yixuan Liu 3/24 ScienceDirect
Cancer vaccines, designed to activate the body's own immune system to fight against tumors, are a current trend in cancer treatment and receiving increasing attention. Cancer vaccines mainly include oncolytic virus vaccine, cell vaccine, peptide vaccine and nucleic acid vaccine. Over the course of decades of research, oncolytic virus vaccine T-VEC, cellular vaccine sipuleucel-T, various peptide vaccines, and DNA vaccine against HPV positive cervical cancer have brought encouraging results for cancer therapy, but are losing momentum in development due to their respective shortcomings. In contrast, the advantages of mRNA vaccines such as high safety, ease of production, and unmatched efficacy are on full display.
The transformative potential of mRNA vaccines for glioblastoma and human cancer: technological advances and translation to clinical trials
Originally devised for cancer control, mRNA vaccines have risen to the forefront of medicine as effective instruments for control of infectious disease, notably their pivotal role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes, and MicroRNAs
by Stephanie Seneff 6/22 ScienceDirect
The mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were brought to market in response to the public health crises of Covid-19. The utilization of mRNA vaccines in the context of infectious disease has no precedent. The many alterations in the vaccine mRNA hide the mRNA from cellular defenses and promote a longer biological half-life and high production of spike protein.
Virus-Mimic mRNA Vaccine for Cancer Treatment
by Chaoyang Meng 17/9/21 WILEY ADVANCED
An effective therapeutic cancer vaccine should be empowered with the capacity to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Here, the authors describe a mRNA virus-mimicking vaccine platform that is comprised of a phospholipid bilayer encapsulated with a protein-nucleotide core consisting of antigen-encoding mRNA molecules, unmethylated CpG oligonucleotides and positively charged proteins.
A neoantigen vaccine generates antitumour immunity in renal cell carcinoma
by David A. Braun 5/2/25 nature
Personalized cancer vaccines (PCVs) can generate circulating immune responses against predicted neoantigens1,2,3,4,5,6. However, whether such responses can target cancer driver mutations, lead to immune recognition of a patient’s tumour and result in clinical activity are largely unknown.
Clinical advances and ongoing trials of mRNA vaccines for cancer treatment
by Cathrine Lund Lorentzen 10/22 ScienceDirect
Years of research exploring mRNA vaccines for cancer treatment in preclinical and clinical trials have set the stage for the rapid development of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therapeutic cancer vaccines based on mRNA are well tolerated, and the inherent advantage in ease of production, which rivals the best available conventional vaccine manufacture methods, renders mRNA vaccines a promising option for cancer immunotherapy.
Immune responses to two and three doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in adults with solid tumors
by Rachna T. Shroff 30/9/21 naturemedicine
Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have shown high efficacy, but immunocompromised participants were excluded from controlled clinical trials.
Repurposing anti-viral subunit and mRNA vaccines T cell immunity for intratumoral immunotherapy against solid tumors
Intratumoral (IT) immunotherapy can stimulate the tumor microenvironment and enhance anti-tumor immunity. We investigated IT delivery of three licensed viral vaccines—Shingrix (VZV shingles), Gardasil-9 (HPV), and Spikevax (SARS-CoV-2)—in prevaccinated mice using the murine tumor model TC-1, which expresses HPV16 oncogenes E6 and E7.
mRNA vaccines for cancer immunotherapy
Immunotherapy has emerged as a breakthrough strategy in cancer treatment. mRNA vaccines are an attractive and powerful immunotherapeutic platform against cancer because of their high potency, specificity, versatility, rapid and large-scale development capability, low-cost manufacturing potential, and safety.
Cancer type and gene signatures associated with breakthrough infections following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination
We used epidemiological data from 21195 patients with cancer and 180407 matched controls, including in-depth analyses in 216 cancer patients, to discover clinical and molecular determinants that predispose cancer patients to breakthrough infections. Patients with B cell malignancies, with differential expression of CD24, CDK14 and PLEKHG1, were most susceptible to breakthrough infections, suggesting that these patients may require more booster immunisations to ameliorate cellular responses and immune protection against COVID-19.
Cancer mRNA vaccines: clinical application progress and challenges
by Hang Li 10/8/25 ScienceDirect
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have emerged as one of the most promising and rapidly evolving immunotherapeutic approaches due to their ease of production, demonstrated clinical efficacy, and high safety. The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic has showcased the remarkable therapeutic potential of mRNA vaccines, prompting researchers to explore their use for cancer treatment.
Neoantigens: promising targets for cancer therapy
Recent advances in neoantigen research have accelerated the development and regulatory approval of tumor immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy and antibody-based therapies, especially for solid tumors. Neoantigens are newly formed antigens generated by tumor cells as a result of various tumor-specific alterations, such as genomic mutation, dysregulated RNA splicing, disordered post-translational modification, and integrated viral open reading frames.
mRNA vaccine in cancer therapy: Current advance and future outlook
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.
Cancer vaccine momentum builds, but US funding cuts raise concerns
Cancer research is one of the fastest-moving areas in biological science, thanks to global funding of hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Of particular interest are mRNA vaccines, which, if they can be designed to reliably harness the immune system to attack cancer cells, could be used as a post-surgical treatment for cancer patients to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Potentialities and Challenges of mRNA Vaccine in Cancer Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy has become the breakthrough strategies for treatment of cancer in recent years. The application of messenger RNA in cancer immunotherapy is gaining tremendous popularity as mRNA can function as an effective vector for the delivery of therapeutic antibodies on immune targets.
mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases: principles, delivery and clinical translation
by Namit Chaudhary 25/8/21 nature reviews
Over the past several decades, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have progressed from a scepticism-inducing idea to clinical reality. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed the most rapid vaccine development in history, with mRNA vaccines at the forefront of those efforts.
Review: N1-methyl-pseudouridine (m1Ψ): Friend or foe of cancer?
by Alberto Rubio-Casillas 5/24 ScienceDirect
Due to the health emergency created by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, the rapid implementation of a new vaccine technology was necessary. mRNA vaccines, being one of the cutting-edge new technologies, attracted significant interest and offered a lot of hope.
COVID-19 Severity and Waning Immunity After up to 4 mRNA Vaccine Doses in 73 608 Patients With Cancer and 621 475 Matched Controls in Singapore
by Wei Chong Tan JAMA Oncology
Findings In this nationwide cohort study including 73 608 patients with cancer and 621 475 matched controls, third and fourth vaccine doses were associated with incremental protection in both groups. No significant decrease in protection against severe disease was observed 5 months after the third and fourth vaccine dose.
Biomarkers of mRNA vaccine efficacy derived from mechanistic modeling of tumor-immune interactions
The success of mRNA vaccines against infectious diseases such as COVID-19 has opened new avenues for their application in oncology. In cancer immunotherapy, mRNA vaccines—typically encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) 100–200 nm in size—enable delivery of tumor-specific antigens to activate immune responses.
How does a cancer vaccine work?
Vaccines are usually used to prevent infectious diseases. A therapeutic cancer vaccine is different. Rather than teaching the immune system to recognize pathogens in advance of an infection, these vaccines use identifying proteins produced by cancer cells, known as antigens, to provoke a powerful immune response to existing tumours.
Lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery
by Xucheng Hou 10/8/21 nature reviews materials
Messenger RNA (mRNA) has emerged as a new category of therapeutic agent to prevent and treat various diseases. To function in vivo, mRNA requires safe, effective and stable delivery systems that protect the nucleic acid from degradation and that allow cellular uptake and mRNA release.
Heterologous prime-boost with an mRNA vaccine and an oncolytic virus enhances tumor regression through overcoming intratumoral immune suppression
by Kuan Zhang 24/6/25 ScienceDirect
Therapeutic mRNA vaccines are limited in inducing tumor shrinkage in advanced cancers due to their inability to overcome immune-suppressive mechanisms within tumors. In this study, we developed an HPV-immunogen-expressing oncolytic virus (OV) using HSV-1 for HPV-related cancer treatment.
Therapeutic cancer vaccines: advancements, challenges and prospects
With the development and regulatory approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies, cancer immunotherapy has undergone a profound transformation over the past decades.
Considerations on the Design of Lipid-based mRNA Vaccines Against Cancer
by Sofie Meulewaeter 15/1/24 jmb
Throughout the last decades, mRNA vaccines have been developed as a cancer immunotherapeutic and the technology recently gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alpha-galactosylceramide improves the potency of mRNA LNP vaccines against cancer and intracellular bacteria
by Sofie Meulewaeter 6/24 ScienceDirect
Although various types of mRNA-based vaccines have been explored, the optimal conditions for induction of both humoral and cellular immunity remain rather unknown.
by Srdan Tadic 15/7/24 frontiers
Tumor related angiogenesis is an attractive target in cancer therapeutic research due to its crucial role in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Different agents were developed aiming to inhibit this process; however they had limited success. Cancer vaccines could be a promising tool in anti-cancer/anti-angiogenic therapy.
Intranasal prime-boost RNA vaccination elicits potent T cell response for lung cancer therapy
The rapid success of RNA vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 has sparked interest in their use for cancer immunotherapy. Although many cancers originate in mucosal tissues, current RNA cancer vaccines are mainly administered non-mucosally.
The guided fire from within: intratumoral administration of mRNA-based vaccines to mobilize memory immunity and direct immune responses against pathogen to target solid tumors
We investigated a novel cancer immunotherapy strategy that effectively suppresses tumor growth in multiple solid tumor models and significantly extends the lifespan of tumor-bearing mice by introducing pathogen antigens into tumors via mRNA-lipid nanoparticles.
Recent advances in mRNA-based cancer vaccines encoding immunostimulants and their delivery strategies
by Seyyed Majid Eslami 12/24 ScienceDirect
The high prevalence of drug resistance, relapse, and unfavorable response rate of conventional cancer therapies necessitate the development of more efficient treatment modalities.
From COVID-19 to Cancer mRNA Vaccines: Moving From Bench to Clinic in the Vaccine Landscape
by Chiranjib Chakraborty 6/7/21 frontiers
Recently, mRNA vaccines have become a significant type of therapeutic and have created new fields in the biopharmaceutical industry. mRNA vaccines are promising next-generation vaccines that have introduced a new age in vaccinology. The recent approval of two COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2) has accelerated mRNA vaccine technology and boosted the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
Preclinical toxicological assessment of an α-galactosylceramide-adjuvanted mRNA cancer vaccine in Wistar Han rats and domestic pigs
by Sofie Meulewaeter 12/6/25 ScienceDirect
Galsome-NEO is a glycolipid-adjuvanted mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) cancer vaccine encoding neo-epitopes for evaluation in a phase 1 study in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
=====Original Article Combination Immunotherapy of MUC1 mRNA Nano-vaccine and CTLA-4 Blockade Effectively Inhibits Growth of Triple Negative Breast Cancer===== by Lina Liu 3/1/18 ScienceDirect
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which constitutes 10%–20% of all breast cancers, is associated with aggressive progression, a high rate of metastasis, and poor prognosis. The treatment of patients with TNBC remains a great clinical challenge.
Molecular Therapy
by RamaRao Malla 3/1/24 ScienceDirect
mRNA vaccines have evolved as promising cancer therapies. These vaccines can encode tumor-allied antigens, thus enabling personalized treatment approaches. They can also target cancer-specific mutations and overcome immune evasion mechanisms. They manipulate the body’s cellular functions to produce antigens, elicit immune responses, and suppress tumors by overcoming limitations associated with specific histocompatibility leukocyte antigen molecules.
Preclinical toxicological assessment of an α-galactosylceramide-adjuvanted mRNA cancer vaccine in Wistar Han rats and domestic pigs
by Sofie Meulewaeter 12/6/25 ScienceDirect
Galsome-NEO is a glycolipid-adjuvanted mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) cancer vaccine encoding neo-epitopes for evaluation in a phase 1 study in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
Combination Immunotherapy of MUC1 mRNA Nano-vaccine and CTLA-4 Blockade Effectively Inhibits Growth of Triple Negative Breast Cancer
by Lina Liu 3/1/18 ScienceDirect
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which constitutes 10%–20% of all breast cancers, is associated with aggressive progression, a high rate of metastasis, and poor prognosis. The treatment of patients with TNBC remains a great clinical challenge
mRNA-LNP vaccination-based immunotherapy augments CD8+ T cell responses against HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer
Although mRNA vaccines are known as potent activators of antigen-specific immune responses against infectious diseases, limited understanding of how they drive the functional commitment of CD8+ T cells in tumor microenvironment (TME) and secondary lymphoid organs hinders their broader application in cancer immunotherapy.
Incorporation of a Toll-like receptor 2/6 agonist potentiates mRNA vaccines against cancer and infectious diseases
mRNA vaccines have emerged rapidly in recent years as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent against various diseases including cancer and infectious diseases. Improvements of mRNA vaccines have been underway, among which boosting of efficacy is of great importance. Pam2Cys, a simple synthetic metabolizable lipoamino acid that signals through Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/6 pathway, eliciting both humoral and cellular adaptive immune responses, is an interesting candidate adjuvant.
mRNA vaccines in gastric cancer: How close are we?VACUNAS ARNm EN CANCER GÀSTRICO ¿QUE TAN CERCA ESTAMOS?
by José Dario Portillo-Miño 3/24 ScienceDirect
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the neoplasms with higher mortality, causing around 700 000 deaths worldwide. Despite efforts in GC research, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and conventional surgery have not been sufficiently effective. Immunotherapy has been proposed as an alternative, and the most recent guidelines recommend its use as a third-line treatment for advanced GC. In this context, the development of an mRNA vaccine to control GC is presented as a promising alternative, either to stimulate an immune response against tumor cells or as a therapeutic option to restore the immune system and reduce mortality from GC.
An mRNA vaccine that programs the body to fight pancreatic cancer shows early promise
Of the 16 patients who were able to complete all phases of the study, eight responded to the vaccine, which taught their immune systems how to recognize and fight off the cancer cells. None of those eight has seen their cancer return.
An mRNA vaccine encoding proteasome-targeted antigen enhances CD8+ T cell immunity
by Jin Ling 10/5/25 ScienceDirect
The efficient induction of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell activation is crucial in the development of mRNA tumor vaccines. Endogenous antigens are primarily degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome system, followed by antigen presentation via major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules, leading to the activation of CD8+ T cells.
mRNA vaccination with charge-altering releasable transporters elicits human T cell responses and cures established tumors in mice
by Ole A. W. Haabeth 10/9/18 PNAS
The RNA delivery field is mostly focused on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Although promising, LNPs have several limitations with respect to pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and toxicity. The mechanism of RNA charge-altering releasable transporters (CART) delivery and release is unique. It proceeds dynamically with a controllable change in physical properties.
mRNA-based therapeutics — developing a new class of drugs
by Ugur Sahin 19/9/14 nature reviews
As the subject of basic and applied research for more than 5 decades, mRNA has only recently come into the focus as a potentially powerful drug class able to deliver genetic information.
Bioinformatics analysis reveals novel tumor antigens and immune subtypes of skin cutaneous melanoma contributing to mRNA vaccine development
Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a common malignant skin cancer with high mortality and recurrence rates. Although the mRNA vaccine is a promising strategy for cancer treatment, its application against SKCM remains confusing. In this study, we employed computational bioinformatics analysis to explore SKCM-associated antigens for an mRNA vaccine and suitable populations for vaccination.
An OX40L mRNA vaccine inhibits the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the fourth-leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, accounts for ~90% of liver cancers (1). Because of recurrence and poor prognosis, the global burden of HCC is increasing. Due to the limited efficacy of conventional therapy, the 5-year survival rate of HCC is poor (2). Therefore, novel, effective therapies are needed. Cancer immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have emerged as novel pillars of cancer therapy. In HCC, early clinical trials with aPD-1/aPD-L1 and aCTLA-4 monotherapies have shown promising results with encouraging survival and safety data (3–6). Unfortunately, the ICIs used in those studies were either not effective or were only partially effective for a substantial portion of cancer patients (7). Novel treatments that circumvent this poor response or resistance are urgently needed.
Cancer-vaccine trials give reasons for optimism
Most people think of immunization as a way to prevent infectious disease. Vaccines contain proteins that the immune system can use to identify a pathogen, such as a virus, enabling the body to respond forcefully to it in future. But the immune system doesn’t only defend against foreign invaders — it also responds to threats from within, such as cancer.
Amplifying STING activation by biomimetic manganese mRNA nanovaccines for local and systemic cancer immunotherapy
by Chunyan He 10/7/25 ScienceDirect
Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines have great potential in cancer treatment. However, poor lymphatic transport, insufficient targeted delivery, intracellular degradation and insufficient immune response without adjuvants limit the application of mRNA vaccines. Herein, a novel mRNA nanovaccine (HM@Mn3O4-mRNA) was constructed by ovalbumin (OVA) mRNA-loaded Mn3O4 encapsulation with a hybrid membrane (HM) of dendritic cells (DCs) and bacterial membrane for enhancing cancer immunotherapy. In vitro results indicated that HM@Mn3O4-mRNA nanovaccine could target DC2.4 cells, achieve lysosomal escape to enhance the expression of antigen, leading to the efficient antigen presentation and the activation of DC2.4 cells. In vivo results demonstrated that HM@Mn3O4-mRNA nanovaccine could target and retain in lymph nodes (LNs), continuously stimulate antigen presentation, and thus trigger a strong T cell mediated immune response.
COVID-19 vaccine success enables a bolder vision for mRNA cancer vaccines, says BioNTech CEO
by Asher Mullard 17/6/21 nature reviews
When Uğur Şahin read in January 2020 about the emergent threat of SARS-CoV-2, he immediately started thinking about how BioNTech’s mRNA platform could be used to rapidly deliver a vaccine.
Nanoparticle cancer vaccines: Design considerations and recent advances
by Liu Jingjing 9/20 ScienceDirect
Vaccines therapeutics manipulate host's immune system and have broad potential for cancer prevention and treatment. However, due to poor immunogenicity and limited safety, fewer cancer vaccines have been successful in clinical trials.
Intratumoral administration of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine delays melanoma growth in mice
by Dylan T. Boehm 13/2/25 Scientific reports
Immunotherapies are effective for cancer treatment but are limited in ‘cold’ tumor microenvironments due to a lack of infiltrating CD8+ T cells, key players in the anti-cancer immune response.
Discovery of lung adenocarcinoma tumor antigens and ferroptosis subtypes for developing mRNA vaccines
by Yan Chen 8/2/24 Scientific reports
mRNA vaccines are becoming a feasible alternative for treating cancer. To develop mRNA vaccines against LUAD, potential antigens were identified and LUAD ferroptosis subtypes distinguished for selecting appropriate patients. The genome expression omnibus, cancer genome atlas (TCGA) and FerrDB were used to collect gene expression profiles, clinical information, and the genes involved in ferroptosis, respectively.
Cancer/testis antigens: from serology to mRNA cancer vaccine
by Chunmei Fan 11/21 ScienceDirect
Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are a group of tumor antigens expressed in numerous cancer tissues, as well as in the testis and placental tissues. There are over 200 CTAs supported by serology and expression data. The expression patterns of CTAs reflect the similarities between the processes of gametogenesis and tumorigenesis.
Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA vaccines in patients with cancer
by Alfredo Addeo 9/8/21 ScienceDirect
Patients with cancer experience a higher burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease severity, complications, and mortality, than the general population. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines are highly effective in the general population; however, few data are available on their efficacy in patients with cancer.
Towards personalized, tumour-specific, therapeutic vaccines for cancer
by Zhuting Hu 11/12/17 nature reviews immunology
Cancer vaccines can both generate new antigen-specific T cell responses and amplify existing responses and thereby focus the host immune response against tumour cells. Because of this ability to induce and direct a potent and tumour-specific immune response while minimizing autoimmunity, a cancer vaccine may be an effective combinatorial partner with immune checkpoint blockade or other immune therapeutics.
RNA vaccines for cancer: Principles to practice
by Pablo Guasp 8/7/24 ScienceDirect
Vaccines are the most impactful medicines to improve health. Though potent against pathogens, vaccines for cancer remain an unfulfilled promise. However, recent advances in RNA technology coupled with scientific and clinical breakthroughs have spurred rapid discovery and potent delivery of tumor antigens at speed and scale, transforming cancer vaccines into a tantalizing prospect.
mRNA delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy: Lipid nanoparticles and beyond
by Mariona Estapé Senti 3/24 ScienceDirect
Cancer is a major cause of death globally [1], [2]. Immunotherapies are novel and promising therapeutic strategies that aim to activate or boost the immune system in order to eliminate cancer cells [3], [4], [5]. They intend to overcome the limitations of chemo and radiotherapy, the standard procedures used against cancer together with surgery. These limitations include associated off-target effects and the resistance that some tumor cells build up [5], [6]. The entry into the clinics of checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) [7] and also of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells [8], [9], [10] are examples of how immunotherapies can improve cancer treatment.
