Modifications of mRNA vaccine structural elements for improving mRNA stability and translation efficiency

Background mRNA vaccines hold great potential as therapeutic techniques against viral infections due to their efficacy, safety, and large-scale production. mRNA vaccines offer flexibility in development as any protein can be produced from mRNA without altering the production or application process. Objective This review highlights the iterative optimization of mRNA vaccine structural elements that impact the type, specificity, and intensity of immune responses leading to higher translational potency and intracellular stability. Results Modifying the mRNA structural elements particularly the 5′ cap, 5′-and 3′-untranslated regions (UTRs), the coding region, and polyadenylation tail help reduce the excessive mRNA immunogenicity and consistently improve its intracellular stability and translational efficiency. Conclusion Further studies regarding mRNA-structural elements and their optimization are needed to create new opportunities for engineering mRNA vaccines.