Recent Efforts to Improve mRNA Vaccine Efficacy
A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Nucleic Acid (DNA and mRNA) Vaccines".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: DNA vaccine; immune responses; infectious disease; plasmids; vaccine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have emerged as a vital platform in vaccinology, especially after their remarkable success in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Their rapid development timelines, scalability, and ability to induce strong immune responses have positioned them at the forefront of next-generation vaccine technologies. However, several challenges remain in optimizing their efficacy, including improving mRNA stability, improving delivery, refining adjuvant strategies, and tailoring immune responses to various pathogens and disease contexts.
Recent advancements have facilitated the design of mRNA vaccine constructs. These include the incorporation of modified nucleotides and the change in untranslated regions (UTRs), tailoring the PoylA tail, and the development of innovative strategies that boost antigen expression and immunogenicity while minimizing adverse effects. Additionally, cutting-edge approaches are being investigated to improve tissue targeting, modify innate immune sensing, and combine mRNA vaccines with effective adjuvants or immunomodulators for broader and more durable protection.
This Special Issue, titled "Recent Efforts to Improve mRNA Vaccine Efficacy," aims to showcase groundbreaking research and emerging technologies by bringing together contributions from molecular design, delivery systems, and clinical development. This collection will provide an overview of the current landscape and future directions for mRNA vaccines across infectious diseases, oncology, and beyond. We invite articles, reviews, or perspectives on the latest findings that highlight the following:
- Enhancements in mRNA stability;
- Strategies for improving transcriptional efficiency;
- Optimization of delivery systems;
- Novel adjuvant strategies in improving mRNA vaccines;
- Preclinical and clinical insights into improving the efficacy and durability of mRNA vaccines.
Dr. Srinivasa Reddy Bonam
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- mRNA vaccines, RNA modifications, untranslated regions, infectious disease, novel adjuvants.
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