Current progress in developing mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccines against human bacterial pathogens

SUMMARYThe messenger RNA (mRNA)-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine platform is the newest tool in the vaccination arsenal for combating infectious diseases, rare genetic diseases, and cancer. Since 2020, major advances in preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of mRNA-LNP vaccines against viral pathogens and in cancer. However, studies investigating the efficacy of mRNA-LNP vaccines against bacterial pathogens remain sparse due to substantial bacterial vaccine-specific challenges. Here, we highlight key challenges impeding the development of mRNA-LNP vaccines against human bacterial pathogens, the advantages that can be gained by utilizing the mRNA-LNP platform for bacterial vaccines, and progress toward the development of mRNA-LNP vaccines against bacterial infections.