About this Research Topic
In vitro transcribed mRNA has lived up to its potential as a game-changing disruptive vaccine modality during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, research into mRNA therapeutics, which extends beyond the realm of vaccines to fight infectious diseases, has gained increasing attention both in academia and industry. Indeed, mRNA therapeutics have been explored beyond vaccines and other immune modulating strategies, typically used in context of infectious diseases and cancer, entering indications such as genetic disorders and heart failure.
A number of challenges need to be overcome for mRNA to fulfil its role as a well-established therapeutic modality applicable to broad relevance to a variety of diseases. Technology advances to adapt the mRNA design to the intended application, to facilitate mRNA manufacturing, to improve mRNA delivery to specific cell types in situ and to avoid unintended reactogenicity coinciding with an in-depth understanding of how mRNA interacts with different cellular components mediating recognition, stability versus degradation and translation are some of the research areas that merit attention.
We welcome research articles as well as comprehensive reviews that cover significant research findings in key areas of research, including but not limited to:
1. Engineering of the mRNA molecular structure to improve protein expression versus antigen processing and presentation, including alternative approaches to mRNA such as chemical, circular and self-amplifying RNA for therapeutic agents;
2. Development of technology platforms to synthetize, purify and analyse mRNA;
3. Development of novel mRNA delivery systems, including tissue and cell-targeted mRNA delivery;
4. Reducing the reactogenicity/immunogenicity of mRNA;
5. Application of mRNA to resolve diseases, including infectious disease, cancer, genetic disorders, etc.
A number of challenges need to be overcome for mRNA to fulfil its role as a well-established therapeutic modality applicable to broad relevance to a variety of diseases. Technology advances to adapt the mRNA design to the intended application, to facilitate mRNA manufacturing, to improve mRNA delivery to specific cell types in situ and to avoid unintended reactogenicity coinciding with an in-depth understanding of how mRNA interacts with different cellular components mediating recognition, stability versus degradation and translation are some of the research areas that merit attention.
We welcome research articles as well as comprehensive reviews that cover significant research findings in key areas of research, including but not limited to:
1. Engineering of the mRNA molecular structure to improve protein expression versus antigen processing and presentation, including alternative approaches to mRNA such as chemical, circular and self-amplifying RNA for therapeutic agents;
2. Development of technology platforms to synthetize, purify and analyse mRNA;
3. Development of novel mRNA delivery systems, including tissue and cell-targeted mRNA delivery;
4. Reducing the reactogenicity/immunogenicity of mRNA;
5. Application of mRNA to resolve diseases, including infectious disease, cancer, genetic disorders, etc.
Keywords: RNA engineering, stability, translation, fidelity, RNA synthesis, purification, quality control methods, RNA formulations, intracellular transport, RNA reactogenicity/immunogenicity, Applications of RNA, infectious diseases, cancer
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
