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Review
. 2025 May;46(5):357-360.
doi: 10.1016/j.it.2025.03.004. Epub 2025 Apr 22.

mRNA vaccines: miRNA-based controlled biodistribution and directed adjuvantation

Byron Brook  1 , Morgan Goetz  1 , Valerie Duval  2 , Romain Micol  2 , David J Dowling  3
Affiliations
Review

mRNA vaccines: miRNA-based controlled biodistribution and directed adjuvantation

Byron Brook et al. Trends Immunol. 2025 May.

Abstract

The development of ionizable mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) nucleic acid carriers facilitated the clinical translation of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273. Here, we discuss insights into rational improvements to mRNA vaccines, focusing on LNP modifications for mRNA-LNP biodistribution control, miRNA-based biodistribution control of encoded transcripts, and precision adjuvantation strategies.

Keywords: adjuvants; biodistribution; mRNA vaccines; microRNA.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests D.J.D. and B.B. are named inventors on vaccine adjuvant patents assigned to Boston Children’s Hospital and licensed by Combined Therapeutics. R.M. is a cofounder of Combined Therapeutics. V.D. and R.M. are employees of Combined Therapeutics. D.J.D. is on the scientific advisory board of EdJen BioTech and serves as a consultant with Merck Research Laboratories/Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. D.J.D. is also a cofounder of ARMR Sciences Inc. The remaining authors do not have any competing interests to declare.

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