Advances and Strategies in Enhancing mRNA Cancer Vaccines

Abstract

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine has emerged as a promising strategy in cancer immunotherapy, enabling the induction of precise and robust immune responses against tumor antigens. Nevertheless, enormous challenges remain, in particular its limitations in achieving optimal immunogenicity and therapeutic efficacy, result in modest clinical benefit. Here, the biological barriers are reviewed that impede the functionality of mRNA cancer vaccine and describe the design considerations, including structure engineering, chemical modification, and development of next-generation delivery materials for enhancing cancer immunotherapy. Recent advances are highlighted aimed at improving vaccine efficacy through targeted delivery, modulation of immune cell interactions, and stimulation of innate immune responses. Finally, the challenges are examined in clinical translation and explore future directions for improving the therapeutic potential of mRNA cancer vaccines. By synthesizing current progress and identifying critical hurdles, this review provides a framework for advancing mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy.