RNA vaccine
An RNA vaccine is a vaccine whose active genetic component is RNA encoding an antigen.
An RNA vaccine is a vaccine whose active genetic component is RNA encoding an antigen. After delivery into cells—often using a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)—the RNA directs temporary production of the encoded antigen, allowing the immune system to develop humoral and cellular responses. Depending on the antigen and formulation, these responses may include antigen-specific immunoglobulin G, cytotoxic T cells, and broader T cell mediated immunity. Innate immune pathways, including interferon signaling, NF-κB, STAT6, and inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β, and interleukin-17A, can also influence the response to vaccination.
RNA vaccines have been investigated for infectious diseases including SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus, and chikungunya virus, as well as for therapeutic applications such as pulmonary cancer immunotherapy. The technology includes different RNA chemistries, including unmodified RNA and N1-methylpseudouridine-modified RNA, and can be paired with antigen-engineering strategies designed to broaden immune recognition. Recent work also examines vaccine responses in specific populations, including dialysis patients, and public attitudes toward the use of mRNA vaccination in humans and livestock.
Where the papers sit
13 papers from the last 6 months study RNA vaccine directly · updated from PubMed 29 Oct 2026
Study type 1 clinical trial · 3 observational · 8 preclinical · 1 unclassified
Themes 3 themes · 1 paradigm shift · 1 new direction
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mRNA Vaccine Immunity and Delivery
LNP delivery is being tuned to balance protective T-cell and antibody immunity against innate inflammation and reactogenicity. Antigen design is moving toward broader SARS-CoV-2 RBD coverage, while capsid inclusion can impair adaptive responses and RIG-I control remains relevant to efficacy. Intratracheal LNPs add a therapeutic direction by reprogramming alveolar macrophages for pulmonary cancer immunotherapy. NF-κB and STAT6 timing, baseline monocyte interferon signaling, and antibody-mediated innate activation are recurring determinants of response.
6 papers · 46.2%
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Respiratory Virus RNA Vaccination
COVID-19 vaccination work is broadening from dose-response immunogenicity to durability, quality of life, and acceptance in older adults and dialysis patients. Comparisons of mRNA with protein-subunit vaccines and studies of three or more mRNA doses focus on antibody responses, infection history, and long COVID. RSV is entering the same framework through prefusion F mRNA design and coadministration with an AS01E-adjuvanted protein vaccine. Safety, immune compatibility, and public willingness remain practical constraints.
5 papers · 38.5%
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Computational Vaccine Design
Reverse vaccinology is generating self-amplifying and mRNA vaccine candidates for Marburg virus and Trypanosoma brucei. Epitope selection centers on predicted B-cell targets and innate-recognition features including Toll like receptor 2. Immune simulation and molecular dynamics are used to test stability, interactions, and likely response before experiments. The work remains an in-silico design pipeline, with protective efficacy still requiring validation.
2 papers · 15.4%
Effective mRNA vaccination depends on temporally balanced innate signaling rather than simply maximizing inflammation
The human COVID-19 vaccination cohort and mechanistic mouse studies on reactogenicity 42647597Aug found that stronger early interferon and pro-inflammatory responses increased systemic symptoms, while the dual-reporter mouse model of LNP-formulated mRNA vaccination 42231579Jun associated favorable humoral responses with early STAT6-mediated anti-inflammatory signaling followed by rapid resolution. Together, these findings replace the assumption that more persistent inflammatory activation is inherently a better vaccine response with a model in which controlled, short-lived innate signaling can improve the balance between tolerability and antibody production.
Intratracheal mRNA vaccination is presented as a macrophage-reprogramming treatment for established pulmonary cancer
The pulmonary cancer model studied by the intratracheal-delivery paper treats the mRNA vaccine not merely as a vehicle for eliciting systemic antiviral or antitumor immunity, but as a local intervention that selectively reprograms alveolar macrophages. Intratracheal delivery produced only a modest increase in total pulmonary protein expression over intranasal delivery yet greatly increased functional transfection in alveolar macrophages; their depletion abolished antitumor protection. This assigns the RNA vaccine a distinct therapeutic role as a route-dependent immune-cell-targeting treatment for lung tumors 42579432Aug.
Papers
The 13 papers from the last 6 months that study RNA vaccine directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
mRNA Vaccine Immunity and Delivery (6)
- Baseline interferon signaling in monocytes and antibody-mediated innate activation are associated with reactogenicity to mRNA vaccines. Science translational medicine · 26 Aug 2026 PMID 42647597
- Engineering antigenic breadth against SARS-CoV-2 by pairing divergent RBDs within a single mRNA immunogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 26 Aug 2026 PMID 42647127
- Intratracheal Delivery of mRNA Lipid Nanoparticles Reprograms Alveolar Macrophages for Pulmonary Cancer Immunotherapy. ACS nano · 11 Aug 2026 PMID 42579432
- Capsid inclusion in a CHIKV mRNA vaccine impairs adaptive immune responses. Cell reports. Medicine · 3 Aug 2026 PMID 42546698
- An LNP-encapsulated mRNA vaccine targeting the major capsid protein of largemouth bass virus confers protective immunity and reduces RIG-I pathway activation in Micropterus salmoides. Fish & shellfish immunology · 30 Jun 2026 PMID 42379032
- Spatiotemporal atlas of pro-inflammatory NF-κB and anti-inflammatory STAT6 signaling using reporter mice during mRNA vaccination. Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 3 Jun 2026 PMID 42231579
Respiratory Virus RNA Vaccination (5)
- Associations of age, COVID-19 vaccination, and SARS-CoV-2 infection history with health-related quality of life in a community-based longitudinal cohort in Singapore. Journal of infection and public health · 16 Sept 2026 PMID 42748761
- Australians' attitudes to mRNA vaccination in humans and animals: A cross-sectional survey. Vaccine · 7 Jul 2026 PMID 42413319
- Comparison of immunogenicity of mRNA and protein subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in dialysis patients: a multicenter study. Vaccine · 20 Jun 2026 PMID 42322683
- Immunogenicity and Safety of Coadministration of AS01E-Adjuvanted Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Protein Vaccine and a COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine in Adult s Aged ≥50 Years: A Phase 3, Randomized, Noninferiority Trial. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 4 Jun 2026 PMID 42240564
- Dynamic regulation-based stabilizing mutations are highly effective for designing RSV pre-fusion F mRNA vaccines. Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 22 May 2026 PMID 42172905
Computational Vaccine Design (2)
- Immunoinformatics and reverse vaccinology design of self-amplifying RNA vaccine against marburg virus with structural dynamics and immune simulation analysis. PloS one · 23 Oct 2026 PMID 42912726
- Immunoinformatics Approach for the Designing of a Novel mRNA Vaccine Candidate Against Trypanosoma brucei. Acta parasitologica · 7 Sept 2026 PMID 42704553
By study type
Clinical trials (1)
- Immunogenicity and Safety of Coadministration of AS01E-Adjuvanted Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Protein Vaccine and a COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine in Adult s Aged ≥50 Years: A Phase 3, Randomized, Noninferiority Trial. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 4 Jun 2026 PMID 42240564
Observational studies and case reports (3)
- Associations of age, COVID-19 vaccination, and SARS-CoV-2 infection history with health-related quality of life in a community-based longitudinal cohort in Singapore. Journal of infection and public health · 16 Sept 2026 PMID 42748761
- Australians' attitudes to mRNA vaccination in humans and animals: A cross-sectional survey. Vaccine · 7 Jul 2026 PMID 42413319
- Comparison of immunogenicity of mRNA and protein subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in dialysis patients: a multicenter study. Vaccine · 20 Jun 2026 PMID 42322683
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (8)
- Immunoinformatics and reverse vaccinology design of self-amplifying RNA vaccine against marburg virus with structural dynamics and immune simulation analysis. PloS one · 23 Oct 2026 PMID 42912726
- Immunoinformatics Approach for the Designing of a Novel mRNA Vaccine Candidate Against Trypanosoma brucei. Acta parasitologica · 7 Sept 2026 PMID 42704553
- Baseline interferon signaling in monocytes and antibody-mediated innate activation are associated with reactogenicity to mRNA vaccines. Science translational medicine · 26 Aug 2026 PMID 42647597
- Engineering antigenic breadth against SARS-CoV-2 by pairing divergent RBDs within a single mRNA immunogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 26 Aug 2026 PMID 42647127
- Intratracheal Delivery of mRNA Lipid Nanoparticles Reprograms Alveolar Macrophages for Pulmonary Cancer Immunotherapy. ACS nano · 11 Aug 2026 PMID 42579432
- An LNP-encapsulated mRNA vaccine targeting the major capsid protein of largemouth bass virus confers protective immunity and reduces RIG-I pathway activation in Micropterus salmoides. Fish & shellfish immunology · 30 Jun 2026 PMID 42379032
- Spatiotemporal atlas of pro-inflammatory NF-κB and anti-inflammatory STAT6 signaling using reporter mice during mRNA vaccination. Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 3 Jun 2026 PMID 42231579
- Dynamic regulation-based stabilizing mutations are highly effective for designing RSV pre-fusion F mRNA vaccines. Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 22 May 2026 PMID 42172905
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (1)
- Capsid inclusion in a CHIKV mRNA vaccine impairs adaptive immune responses. Cell reports. Medicine · 3 Aug 2026 PMID 42546698
Written from 13 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-08-31. Last written: 2026-09-09 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.