mRNA vaccines in infectious disease control: Current progress and future perspectives

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have emerged as a transformative platform in vaccinology, offering rapid development, high flexibility, and scalable production. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated their potential against a variety of pathogens, including HIV-1, rabies virus, Ebola virus, Zika virus, Nipah virus, and coronaviruses. The application of lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA has been particularly promising, eliciting both humoral and cellular immune responses in animal models and early-phase human trials. However, challenges such as nucleotide modification errors, double-stranded RNA contamination, optimizing delivery systems, and understanding long-term immune memory remain significant hurdles for widespread deployment. Despite these limitations, mRNA vaccines uniquely fill the gap between emerging pandemic threats and the timely availability of effective immunization. With continued refinements in design, purification, and delivery technologies, mRNA vaccines are poised to become a cornerstone not only for infectious disease prevention but also for cancer immunotherapy and passive antibody transfer strategies.