mRNA Vaccines and their Role in Immunization Against Infectious Diseases: Advances, Challenges and Future Prospects

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.15951625240314

• Palavras-chave: mRNA vaccines, immunization, emerging infectious diseases, mRNA technology, therapeutic vaccines.

• Keywords: mRNA vaccines, immunization, emerging infectious diseases, mRNA technology, therapeutic vaccines.

• Abstract:

  Objective: To analyze the potential of mRNA vaccines in the fight against emerging infectious diseases. Methodology: The literature review was conducted based on the PVO strategy, formulating the question: "What is the potential of mRNA vaccines in the development of effective and safe immunizations against infectious diseases?". The searches were carried out on the PubMed-MEDLINE database, using the terms: ("mRNA vaccines") AND ("infectious diseases") AND ("vaccine development"). After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 27 articles were selected for analysis. Discussion: mRNA vaccines, such as those from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have demonstrated efficacy of more than 90% against COVID-19, providing robust protection against serious infections and stimulating long-lasting immunological memory. This technology also stands out for its potential to combat other emerging pathogens, including influenza, Zika and HIV. In addition, mRNA vaccines are being explored for the development of personalized immunizations in the treatment of cancer. Despite challenges such as RNA stability and accessibility issues, technological advances, including self-amplifying mRNA, optimized delivery systems and lipid nanoparticles, have increased the efficacy and viability of these vaccines, enabling new immunization strategies and personalized therapies. Final considerations: mRNA vaccines have emerged as an innovative approach to fighting infectious diseases, showing high efficacy and safety, especially in the context of COVID-19. Advances such as self-amplifying mRNA and improvements in RNA stability reinforce the potential of these vaccines to tackle challenges such as HIV and cancer. Despite the limitations, ongoing research promises to expand the applications of this technology, offering a promising future in the prevention and treatment of a wide range of infectious and chronic diseases.