# mRNA Therapeutics & Cancer Vaccines Domain: Advanced Medicine · 223 papers indexed · newest 2026-10-02 Personalized neoantigen mRNA vaccines, lipid-nanoparticle delivery, self-amplifying and circular RNA and mRNA therapeutics beyond infectious disease. Key concepts: mRNA vaccine, lipid nanoparticle ## Most influential - **[Personalized RNA neoantigen vaccines stimulate T cells in pancreatic cancer](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06063-y)**. Luis Alfonso Rojas, Zachary M. Sethna, Kevin C. Soares et al. · 2023 · Nature (doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06063-y · 1,431 citations). Source: > Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is lethal in 88% of patients 1 , 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. After surgery, we sequentially administered atezolizumab (an anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy), autogene cevumeran (a maximum of 20 neoantigens per patient) and a modified version of a four-drug chemotherapy r… > _Abstract excerpt by Luis Alfonso Rojas et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06063-y; truncated._ - **[mRNA vaccine for cancer immunotherapy](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1186/s12943-021-01335-5)**. Lei Miao, Yu Zhang, Leaf Huang · 2021 · Molecular Cancer (doi:10.1186/s12943-021-01335-5 · 935 citations). Source: > 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 modific… > _Abstract excerpt by Lei Miao et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-021-01335-5; truncated._ - **[RNA neoantigen vaccines prime long-lived CD8+ T cells in pancreatic cancer](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08508-4)**. Zachary M. Sethna, Pablo Guasp, Charlotte Reiche et al. · 2025 · Nature (doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08508-4 · 334 citations). Source: > 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. At an extended 3.2-year median follow-up from a phase 1 trial of surgery, atezolizumab (PD-L1 inhibitory antibody), autogene cevumeran1 (individualized neoantigen vaccine with backbone-optimized uridine mRNA–lipoplex nanoparticles) and modified (m) FOLFIRINOX (chemotherapy) in pat… > _Abstract excerpt by Zachary M. Sethna et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08508-4; truncated._ - **[Targeting cancer with mRNA–lipid nanoparticles: key considerations and future prospects](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41571-023-00811-9)**. Edo Kon, Nitay Ad‐El, Inbal Hazan‐Halevy et al. · 2023 · Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology (doi:10.1038/s41571-023-00811-9 · 376 citations). Source: - **[Neoantigen vaccine: an emerging tumor immunotherapy](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1186/s12943-019-1055-6)**. Peng M, Mo Y, Wang Y et al. · 2019 · Molecular cancer (doi:10.1186/s12943-019-1055-6 · 558 citations). Source: > Genetic instability of tumor cells often leads to the occurrence of a large number of mutations, and expression of non-synonymous mutations can produce tumor-specific antigens called neoantigens. Neoantigens are highly immunogenic as they are not expressed in normal tissues. They can activate CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to generate immune response and have the potential to become new targets of tumor immunotherapy. The development of bioinformatics technology has accelerated the identification of neoantigens. The combination of different algorithms to identify and predict the affinity of neoantigens… > _Abstract excerpt by Peng M et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-019-1055-6; truncated._ - **[mRNA vaccine–induced neoantigen-specific T cell immunity in patients with gastrointestinal cancer](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1172/jci134915)**. Gal Cafri, Jared J. Gartner, Tal Z. Zaks et al. · 2020 · Journal of Clinical Investigation (doi:10.1172/jci134915 · 426 citations). Source: - **[mRNA therapeutics in cancer immunotherapy](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1186/s12943-021-01348-0)**. Jan David Beck, Daniel Reidenbach, Nadja Salomon et al. · 2021 · Molecular Cancer (doi:10.1186/s12943-021-01348-0 · 385 citations). Source: > Synthetic mRNA provides a template for the synthesis of any given protein, protein fragment or peptide and lends itself to a broad range of pharmaceutical applications, including different modalities of cancer immunotherapy. With the ease of rapid, large scale Good Manufacturing Practice-grade mRNA production, mRNA is ideally poised not only for off-the shelf cancer vaccines but also for personalized neoantigen vaccination. The ability to stimulate pattern recognition receptors and thus an anti-viral type of innate immune response equips mRNA-based vaccines with inherent adjuvanticity. Nucleos… > _Abstract excerpt by Jan David Beck et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-021-01348-0; truncated._ - **[Relationships Between Immune Landscapes, Genetic Subtypes and Responses to Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.00369)**. Picard E, Verschoor CP, Ma GW et al. · 2020 · Frontiers in immunology (doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.00369 · 432 citations). Source: > Colorectal cancer (CRC) is highly heterogeneous at the genetic and molecular level, which has major repercussions on the efficacy of immunotherapy. A small subset of CRCs exhibit microsatellite instability (MSI), a molecular indicator of defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR), but the majority are microsatellite-stable (MSS). The high tumor mutational burden (TMB) and neoantigen load in MSI tumors favors the infiltration of immune effector cells, and antitumor immune responses within these tumors are strong relative to their MSS counterparts. MSI has emerged as a major predictive marker for the e… > _Abstract excerpt by Picard E et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.00369; truncated._ - **[Personalized neoantigen vaccine and pembrolizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase 1/2 trial](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41591-024-02894-y)**. Yarchoan M, Gane EJ, Marron TU et al. · 2024 · Nature medicine (doi:10.1038/s41591-024-02894-y · 225 citations). Source: > Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors have modest efficacy as a monotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A personalized therapeutic cancer vaccine (PTCV) may enhance responses to PD-1 inhibitors through the induction of tumor-specific immunity. We present results from a single-arm, open-label, phase 1/2 study of a DNA plasmid PTCV (GNOS-PV02) encoding up to 40 neoantigens coadministered with plasmid-encoded interleukin-12 plus pembrolizumab in patients with advanced HCC previously treated with a multityrosine kinase inhibitor. Safety and immunogenicity were assessed as primar… > _Abstract excerpt by Yarchoan M et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02894-y; truncated._ - **[Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccines Give Equivalent Protection against Influenza to mRNA Vaccines but at Much Lower Doses](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.11.017)**. Vogel AB, Lambert L, Kinnear E et al. · 2018 · Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy (doi:10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.11.017 · 420 citations). Source: > New vaccine platforms are needed to address the time gap between pathogen emergence and vaccine licensure. RNA-based vaccines are an attractive candidate for this role: they are safe, are produced cell free, and can be rapidly generated in response to pathogen emergence. Two RNA vaccine platforms are available: synthetic mRNA molecules encoding only the antigen of interest and self-amplifying RNA (sa-RNA). sa-RNA is virally derived and encodes both the antigen of interest and proteins enabling RNA vaccine replication. Both platforms have been shown to induce an immune response, but it is not c… > _Abstract excerpt by Vogel AB et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.11.017; truncated._ - **[Self-amplifying RNA SARS-CoV-2 lipid nanoparticle vaccine candidate induces high neutralizing antibody titers in mice](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17409-9)**. McKay PF, Hu K, Blakney AK et al. · 2020 · Nature communications (doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17409-9 · 378 citations). Source: > The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 into a global pandemic within a few months of onset motivates the development of a rapidly scalable vaccine. Here, we present a self-amplifying RNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein encapsulated within a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) as a vaccine. We observe remarkably high and dose-dependent SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody titers in mouse sera, as well as robust neutralization of both a pseudo-virus and wild-type virus. Upon further characterization we find that the neutralization is proportional to the quantity of specific IgG and of higher magnitude than recovered C… > _Abstract excerpt by McKay PF et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17409-9; truncated._ - **[Efficient Nanovaccine Delivery in Cancer Immunotherapy](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1021/acsnano.7b00978)**. Guizhi Zhu, Fuwu Zhang, Qianqian Ni et al. · 2017 · ACS Nano (doi:10.1021/acsnano.7b00978 · 374 citations). Source: - **[Individualized, heterologous chimpanzee adenovirus and self-amplifying mRNA neoantigen vaccine for advanced metastatic solid tumors: phase 1 trial interim results](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01937-6)**. Christine D. Palmer, Amy Rappaport, Matthew J. Davis et al. · 2022 · Nature Medicine (doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01937-6 · 242 citations). Source: - **[A shared neoantigen vaccine combined with immune checkpoint blockade for advanced metastatic solid tumors: phase 1 trial interim results](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41591-024-02851-9)**. Amy Rappaport, Chrisann Kyi, Monica Lane et al. · 2024 · Nature Medicine (doi:10.1038/s41591-024-02851-9 · 158 citations). Source: - **[Personalized Cancer Vaccines: Clinical Landscape, Challenges, and Opportunities](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.09.038)**. Colby S. Shemesh, Joy Hsu, Iraj Hosseini et al. · 2020 · Molecular Therapy (doi:10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.09.038 · 287 citations). Source: ## Newest - **[Navigating the Transition to RNA-Based Influenza Vaccines: A State-of-the-Art Review](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.3390/vaccines14100874)**. Panagiotopoulos AP, Tsakri D, Laskaris A et al. · 2026 · Vaccines (doi:10.3390/vaccines14100874). Source: - **[Advances in the development and delivery of nucleic acid-based therapeutics](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1039/d6bm00738d)**. Kurczewski E, Mansurov A, Sachar C et al. · 2026 · Biomaterials science (doi:10.1039/d6bm00738d). Source: - **[Tuning intracellular immunity by Nodamura virus B2 protein enhances self-amplifying RNA activity](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77816-2)**. Sanchez-David RY, Nemegeer J, Le HD et al. · 2026 · Nature communications (doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77816-2). Source: - **[Efficient production of a self-amplifying RNA vaccine sequence with the single subunit RNA polymerase from \Klebsiella\ phage 32 utilizing the native AU initiating dinucleotide](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1261/rna.081020.126)**. Price MA, Trubitsyna M, Paget JE et al. · 2026 · RNA (New York, N.Y.) (doi:10.1261/rna.081020.126). Source: - **[Personalized mRNA Neoantigen Vaccines in Cancer: Linking Precision Antigen Selection, Immune Remodeling, and Checkpoint Blockade](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.3390/ijms27188163)**. Demircan T, Yıldırım B, Ünsal Hİ et al. · 2026 · International journal of molecular sciences (doi:10.3390/ijms27188163). Source: - **[Research Progress, Application, and Industrialization Prospects of Circular RNA Vaccines in Viral Diseases](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.3390/vaccines14090781)**. Cai D, Li X, Wang R et al. · 2026 · Vaccines (doi:10.3390/vaccines14090781). Source: - **[Messenger RNA delivery of a dual CD25/CD122 affinity-tuned IL-2 variant prolongs exposure and potentiates antitumor T cell immunity](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1126/sciadv.aeh9215)**. Vormehr M, Kranz LM, Muik A et al. · 2026 · Science advances (doi:10.1126/sciadv.aeh9215). Source: - **[Generative AI-enabled neoantigen vaccine engineering: From tumor antigen discovery to personalized construct design and translational validation](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2026.109028)**. Hu X, Liu X, Wang T et al. · 2026 · Biotechnology advances (doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2026.109028). Source: - **[Novel lipid nanoparticle in a mRNA cancer vaccine drives tumor control via type I IFNs and effector CD8\+\ T cells](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1016/j.omtn.2026.103076)**. Gold MJ, Millar DG, Liu J et al. · 2026 · Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids (doi:10.1016/j.omtn.2026.103076). Source: - **[A viral-based individualized neoantigen vaccine as adjuvant treatment in resected head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a randomized Phase I trial](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76667-1)**. Ottensmeier C, Delord JP, Lalanne A et al. · 2026 · Nature communications (doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76667-1). Source: ## Clinical trials - **[Bringing Optimised COVID-19 Vaccine Schedules To ImmunoCompromised Populations (BOOST-IC): an Adaptive Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial](https://space-kitty.com/papers/nct:NCT05556720)**. Monash University · 2022 · ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05556720). Source: - **[A Clinical Trial Investigating the Safety, Tolerability, and Therapeutic Effects of BNT113 in Combination With Pembrolizumab Versus Pembrolizumab Alone for Patients With a Form of Head and Neck Cancer Positive for Human Papilloma Virus 16 and Expressing the Protein PD-L1](https://space-kitty.com/papers/nct:NCT04534205)**. BioNTech SE · 2020 · ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04534205). Source: - **[Evaluation of the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of iNeo-Vac-R01, an Individualized mRNA Therapeutic Technology Based on Tumor Neoantigens, for Adjuvant Treatment in Patients With Biliary Malignant Tumors After Radical Resection](https://space-kitty.com/papers/nct:NCT07368803)**. Yifan Wang · 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07368803). Source: - **[Self-Amplifying mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine (LUNAR-COV19) Versus Comirnaty Vaccine in Adult Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Patients](https://space-kitty.com/papers/nct:NCT07390968)**. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07390968). Source: - **[Universal Immunization to Fortify Immunotherapy Efficacy and Response](https://space-kitty.com/papers/nct:NCT07597070)**. University of Florida · 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07597070). Source: - **[Safety and Efficacy of Multimodal Thermal Therapy (MTT) Combined With KRAS G12V mRNA Vaccine, S-1, and Sintilimab in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer](https://space-kitty.com/papers/nct:NCT07745790)**. Ruijin Hospital · 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07745790). Source: - **[Safety and Immunogenicity of 9-valent Human Papillomavirus (9vHPV) Vaccine Coadministered With Messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA)-1273 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (COVID-19) Vaccine (V503-076)](https://space-kitty.com/papers/nct:NCT05119855)**. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC · 2021 · ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05119855). Source: - **[DOC1021 Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Adult Glioblastoma (GBM)](https://space-kitty.com/papers/nct:NCT06805305)**. Diakonos Oncology Corporation · 2025 · ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06805305). 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