Recent Advances in mRNA Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines

Cancer immunotherapies are a promising method for treating cancers and directly enhance the antitumor capabilities of a patient's immune system. In particular, therapeutic mRNA cancer vaccines are an attractive strategy as they offer a specificity and safety level that other immunotherapies are unable to achieve. Incorporation of tumor-specific or tumor-associated antigens in mRNA vaccines aims to enhance tumor antigen-specific T cells. mRNA vaccine adjuvants often encode immune stimulating proteins such as proinflammatory cytokines, costimulatory molecules, and pattern recognition receptors or their corresponding agonists. This review summarizes prominent clinical and preclinical therapies utilizing mRNA tumor-associated or tumor-specific antigens and mRNA encoding immunostimulants delivered either as vaccine adjuvants or as monotherapies for the treatment of cancer. The limitations, challenges, and future directions of therapeutic mRNA vaccines are also discussed.