"Biomedical applications of mRNA nanomedicine" by Qingqing Xiong, Gha Young Lee et al.

Article Title

Biomedical applications of mRNA nanomedicine

Authors

Qingqing Xiong, Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
Gha Young Lee, Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Jianxun Ding, Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Wenliang Li, Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA School of Pharmacy, Jilin Medical University, Jilin 132013, China
Jinjun Shi, Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA

Keywords

messenger RNA, chemical modification, nanoparticle, vaccination, gene editing, protein-replacement, cellular reprogramming and engineering

Abstract

ABSTRACT As an attractive alternative to plasmid DNA, messenger RNA (mRNA) has recently emerged as a promising class of nucleic acid therapeutics for biomedical applications. Advances in addressing the inherent shortcomings of mRNA and in the development of nanoparticle-based delivery systems have prompted the development and clinical translation of mRNA-based medicines. In this review, we discuss the chemical modification strategies of mRNA to improve its stability, minimize immune responses, and enhance translational efficacy. We also highlight recent progress in nanoparticle-based mRNA delivery. Considerable attention is given to the increasingly widespread applications of mRNA nanomedicine in the biomedical fields of vaccination, protein-replacement therapy, gene editing, and cellular reprogramming and engineering.