ABSTRACT
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is attracting much attention as a new drug modality. Artificially, synthesized mRNA is administered to the body as a therapeutic agent or vaccine. mRNA vaccine was first developed for COVID-19, demonstrating excellent efficacy in reducing the incidence and aggravation of infections. Since mRNA has advantages such as the capability of producing any protein by simply changing the nucleic acid sequences, and the negligible risk of insertional mutagenesis, it is also used for various applications including vaccines for other infectious diseases, cancer vaccines, and therapeutic agents. In this part, the methodology to prepare the mRNAs and their delivery systems is described.
