Sequence-Optimized mRNA Vaccines Against Infectious Disease

• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3770-8_8
• Publication Date: 2024-05-30T09:45:38Z
• Authors: Susanne Rauch; Johannes Lutz; Janine Mühe; Aleksandra Kowalczyk; Thomas Schlake; Regina Heidenreich
• Keywords: Mice; Vaccines, Synthetic; Immunogenicity, Vaccine; SARS-CoV-2; RNA Stability; Liposomes; Animals; Humans; Nanoparticles; mRNA Vaccines; RNA, Messenger

Developing effective mRNA vaccines poses certain challenges concerning mRNA stability and ability to induce sufficient immune stimulation and requires a specific panel of techniques for production and testing. Here, we describe the production of stabilized mRNA vaccines (RNActive® technology) with enhanced immunogenicity, generated using conventional nucleotides only, by introducing changes to the mRNA sequence and by formulation into lipid nanoparticles. Methods described here include the synthesis, purification, and formulation of mRNA vaccines as well as a comprehensive panel of in vitro and in vivo methods for evaluation of vaccine quality and immunogenicity.