Promises and pitfalls of mRNA-based vaccines as cancer treatment

Abstract

The success of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines has accelerated interest in applying mRNA technology to oncology. mRNA cancer vaccines offer the potential for precise, patient-specific treatment with reduced off-target effects and may become an important component of future cancer care. This review outlines the mechanisms underlying mRNA cancer vaccines, their current limitations, and recent advances in RNA engineering and delivery systems. Although early clinical trial results are encouraging, benefits over existing therapies remain modest, whilst current high costs and manufacturing challenges hinder widespread implementation. We argue that combining scalable off-the-shelf vaccine platforms with selected personalised features may provide the most practical pathway towards wider clinical use.