Vaccines have been reliably and affordably protecting people from diseases worldwide for centuries. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, however, vaccine development was still a long and idiosyncratic process. Traditionally, researchers had to tailor manufacturing processes and facilities for each vaccine candidate, and the scientific knowledge gained from one vaccine was often not directly transferable to another.

But the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines brought a new approach to vaccine development. And on Aug. 5, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved another mRNA vaccine – a seasonal flu vaccine for adults age 50 or older – that offers more protection against influenza compared to standard vaccines. These advances demonstrate the momentum of mRNA technology, and they have far-reaching implications for how researchers make drugs to treat many other diseases.

Although there are many possibilities for what researchers can use mRNA to treat, some important limitations remain. My work as a biochemist and my lab at UMass Chan Medical School focus on developing better ways to use mRNA as a drug. Better understanding how mRNA-based drugs interact with the immune system and how they are degraded in human cells can help lead to safe, durable and effective treatments for a wide range of diseases.

Some basics of mRNA drugs

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is made of four building blocks denoted by the letters A, C, G and U. The sequence of letters in an mRNA molecule conveys genetic information that directs how a protein is made.

An mRNA drug comprises two essential components: mRNA molecules, which code for desired proteins, and the lipid molecules – such as phospholipids and cholesterol – that encapsulate them. These mRNA-lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, are tiny spheres about 100 nanometers in diameter that protect mRNA from degradation and........

© The Conversation