Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Yu Zhang
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Ge Wang
Department of Oral Maxillofacial & Head and Neck Oncology, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
Wen Yang
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Yingjie Xu
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Over the past two decades, significant technological innovations have led to messenger RNA (mRNA) becoming a promising option for developing prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, protein replacement therapies, and genome engineering. The success of the two COVID-19 mRNA vaccines has sparked new enthusiasm for other medical applications, particularly in cancer treatment. In vitro-transcribed (IVT) mRNAs are structurally designed to resemble naturally occurring mature mRNA. Delivery of IVT mRNA via delivery platforms such as lipid nanoparticles allows host cells to produce many copies of encoded proteins, which can serve as antigens to stimulate immune responses or as additional beneficial proteins for supplements. mRNA-based cancer therapeutics include mRNA cancer vaccines, mRNA encoding cytokines, chimeric antigen receptors, tumor suppressors, and other combination therapies. To better understand the current development and research status of mRNA therapies for cancer treatment, this review focused on the molecular design, delivery systems, and clinical indications of mRNA therapies in cancer.
