mRNA Personalized Cancer Vaccines and Immune-Oncology

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Immunology and Immunotherapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 962

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Oncology and Cancer Biology and Evolution Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
Interests: neoantigen prediction; mRNA vaccine; cancer immunotherapy; Immuno-Oncology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue "mRNA Personalized Cancer Vaccines and Immune-Oncology" explores the design, manufacturing, and clinical translation of tailor-made mRNA or self-amplifying RNA vaccines that encode patient-specific neoantigens, tumor-associated antigens, or shared driver mutations. It integrates lipid-nanoparticle and polymeric delivery systems, in situ co-stimulatory signals, and combination regimens with checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cells, oncolytic viruses, or metabolic modulators. Studies on vaccine-elicited T-cell/B-cell repertoire dynamics, innate sensing, tumor microenvironment remodeling, biomarker-guided patient selection, rapid GMP production, and regulatory frameworks are welcomed, spanning early-phase trials to late-stage efficacy across solid and hematologic malignancies.

Dr. Praveen Neeli
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • neoantigen prediction
  • mRNA vaccine
  • cancer immunotherapy
  • immuno-oncology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

27 pages, 2765 KB  
Review
In Vivo mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle CAR-T Cell Engineering: Advances, Challenges, and Clinical Translation
by Vipin K. Yadav, Priyanka Yadav, Sreevidya Mallappa and Praveen Neeli
Biomedicines 2026, 14(6), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14061276 - 3 Jun 2026
Viewed by 632
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has transformed the treatment of hematologic malignancies, yet its broader application, particularly in solid tumors, remains constrained by high cost, labor-intensive manufacturing, limited production capacity, and variable clinical performance, as well as barriers such as poor [...] Read more.
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has transformed the treatment of hematologic malignancies, yet its broader application, particularly in solid tumors, remains constrained by high cost, labor-intensive manufacturing, limited production capacity, and variable clinical performance, as well as barriers such as poor trafficking, antigen heterogeneity, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In vivo CAR-T cell engineering, in which CAR-T cells are generated directly within the patient, offers a paradigm shift by eliminating the need for ex vivo cell processing and complex logistical infrastructure. Among emerging approaches, messenger RNA (mRNA)-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as a promising and clinically tractable platform for in vivo CAR-T cell generation, enabling direct reprogramming of T lymphocytes within the patient and thereby circumventing the need for leukapheresis, viral vector production, and prolonged ex vivo culture, effectively transforming the patient into their own cell therapy factory. This review synthesizes advances in mRNA-LNP-mediated in vivo CAR-T cell generation, encompassing ionizable lipid chemistry and emerging T cell-targeted delivery strategies, including surface functionalization approaches. We discuss the implications of transient CAR expression for immune activation, safety, and therapeutic durability, alongside CAR design optimization through co-stimulatory domains and safety switches. Preclinical evidence from murine tumor models and non-human primates is integrated with current regulatory considerations, and key barriers to clinical translation are highlighted. Collectively, progress in nucleic acid delivery, synthetic immunology, and precision medicine positions in vivo mRNA-CAR-T therapy as a promising modality for oncology and beyond. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue mRNA Personalized Cancer Vaccines and Immune-Oncology)
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