Biomedical Journal

Biomedical Journal

Volume 46, Issue 1, February 2023, Pages 70-80
Biomedical Journal

Short Review
Race with virus evolution: The development and application of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2023.01.002Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been urgently developed around the world. On the basis of the mRNA vaccine technology developed previously, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were promptly tested in animals, advanced to clinical trials, and then authorized for emergency use in humans. The administration of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines has successfully reduced the hospitalization and mortality caused by the viral infection, although the virus continuously evolves with its transmission. Therefore, the development of mRNA vaccine technology, including RNA modification and delivery systems, is well recognized for its contribution to moderating the harms caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The scientists who developed these technologies, Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman, and Pieter Cullis, were awarded the 2022 Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science. In this review, we summarize the principles, safety and efficacy of as well as the immune response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Since mRNA vaccine approaches could be practical for the prevention of infectious diseases, we also briefly describe mRNA vaccines against other human viral pathogens in clinical trials.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
mRNA vaccine
RNA modification
Lipid nanoparticle
Vaccine immunity

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Peer review under responsibility of Chang Gung University.