RNA vaccines in motion: A multidisciplinary exploration of design, delivery, and deployment
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: RNA vaccines represent a major advance in prophylactic and therapeutic vaccinology, largely due to the success of nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccines encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. These platforms build on long-standing progress in RNA chemistry, immunology, and nanotechnology. This review concentrates primarily on molecular design (codon/sequence optimization, chemical modifications, and data-driven antigen selection) and delivery optimization (LNPs and emerging alternatives like virus-like particles, extracellular vesicles, and ligand-targeted systems). Clinical progress is highlighted through examples from oncology, including personalized neoantigen approaches, combination therapies, and immunopeptidomics-guided validation, as well as early preclinical work on tolerance induction and localized protein replacement. Overall, continued refinement of RNA sequence engineering and delivery systems positions these platforms as flexible tools for rapid-response vaccination and therapy, especially where fast antigen adaptation and scalable production are required.
Source: Bioimpacts
DOI: 10.34172/bi.33056
Institutions: University of Jordan, Al-Zahrawi University, Islamic University of Najaf, Jain University, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Siksha O Anusandhan University, Chandigarh University, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers, University of Tashkent for Applied Sciences, Alfraganus University, Urgench State University, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Chitkara University
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7216144148