mRNA in cancer immunotherapy: beyond a source of antigen.

mRNA therapeutics have become the focus of molecular medicine research. Various mRNA applications have reached major milestones at high speed in the immuno-oncology field. This can be attributed to the knowledge that mRNA is one of nature's core building blocks carrying important information and can be considered as a powerful vector for delivery of therapeutic proteins to the patient.For a long time, the major focus in the use of in vitro transcribed mRNA was on development of cancer vaccines, using mRNA encoding tumor antigens to modify dendritic cells ex vivo. However, the versatility of mRNA and its many advantages have paved the path beyond this application. In addition, due to smart design of both the structural properties of the mRNA molecule as well as pharmaceutical formulations that improve its in vivo stability and selective targeting, the therapeutic potential of mRNA can be considered as endless.As a consequence, many novel immunotherapeutic strategies focus on the use of mRNA beyond its use as the source of tumor antigens. This review aims to summarize the state-of-the-art on these applications and to provide a rationale for their clinical application.

Quantifying the Average Number of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics per Nanocarrier by Single Particle Tracking Microscopy.

Nucleic acid biopharmaceuticals are being investigated as potential therapeutics. They need to be incorporated into a biocompatible carrier so as to overcome several biological barriers. Rational development of suitable nanocarriers requires high-quality characterization techniques. While size, concentration, and stability can be very well measured these days, even in complex biological fluids, a method to accurately quantify the number of nucleic acid therapeutics encapsulated in nanocarriers is still missing. Here we present a method, based on concentration measurements with single particle tracking microscopy, with which it is possible to directly measure the number of plasmid DNA molecules per nanoparticle, referred to as the plasmid/NP ratio. Using DOTAP/DOPE liposomes as a model carrier, we demonstrate the usefulness of the method by investigating the influence of various experimental factors on the plasmid/NP ratio. We find that the plasmid/NP ratio is inversely proportional with the size of the pDNA and that the plasmid/NP decreases when lipoplexes are prepared at lower concentrations of pDNA and nanocarrier, with values ranging from 6.5 to 3 plasmid/NP. Furthermore, the effect of pre- and post-PEGylation of lipoplexes was examined, finding that pre-PEGylation results in a decreased plasmid/NP ratio, while post-PEGylation did not alter the plasmid/NP ratio. These proof-of-concept experiments show that single particle tracking offers an extension of the nanoparticle characterization toolbox and is expected to aid in the efficient development of nanoformulations for nucleic acid-based therapies.

Transport by circulating myeloid cells drives liposomal accumulation in inflamed synovium.

The therapeutic potential of liposomes to deliver drugs into inflamed tissue is well documented. Liposomes are believed to largely transport drugs into inflamed joints by selective extravasation through endothelial gaps at the inflammatory sites, known as the enhanced permeation and retention effect. However, the potential of blood-circulating myeloid cells for the uptake and delivery of liposomes has been largely overlooked. Here we show that myeloid cells can transport liposomes to inflammatory sites in a collagen-induced arthritis model. It is shown that the selective depletion of the circulating myeloid cells reduces the accumulation of liposomes up to 50-60%, suggesting that myeloid-cell-mediated transport accounts for more than half of liposomal accumulation in inflamed regions. Although it is widely believed that PEGylation inhibits premature liposome clearance by the mononuclear phagocytic system, our data show that the long blood circulation times of PEGylated liposomes rather favours uptake by myeloid cells. This challenges the prevailing theory that synovial liposomal accumulation is primarily due to the enhanced permeation and retention effect and highlights the potential for other pathways of delivery in inflammatory diseases.

Nanobody-mediated SPECT/CT imaging reveals the spatiotemporal expression of programmed death-ligand 1 in response to a CD8+ T cell and iNKT cell activating mRNA vaccine.

Rationale: Although promising responses are obtained in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its receptor programmed death-1 (PD-1), only a fraction of patients benefits from this immunotherapy. Cancer vaccination may be an effective approach to improve the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors anti-PD-L1/PD-1 therapy. However, there is a lack of research on the dynamics of PD-L1 expression in response to cancer vaccination. Methods: We performed non-invasive whole-body imaging to visualize PD-L1 expression at different timepoints after vaccination of melanoma-bearing mice. Mice bearing ovalbumin (OVA) expressing B16 tumors were i.v. injected with the Galsome mRNA vaccine: OVA encoding mRNA lipoplexes co-encapsulating a low or a high dose of the atypical adjuvant α-galactosylceramide (αGC) to activate invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. Serial non-invasive whole-body immune imaging was performed using a technetium-99m (99mTc)-labeled anti-PD-L1 nanobody, single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) images were quantified. Additionally, cellular expression of PD-L1 was evaluated with flow cytometry. Results: SPECT/CT-imaging showed a rapid and systemic upregulation of PD-L1 after vaccination. PD-L1 expression could not be correlated to the αGC-dose, although we observed a dose-dependent iNKT cell activation. Dynamics of PD-L1 expression were organ-dependent and most pronounced in lungs and liver, organs to which the vaccine was distributed. PD-L1 expression in lungs increased immediately after vaccination and gradually decreased over time, whereas in liver, vaccination-induced PD-L1 upregulation was short-lived. Flow cytometric analysis of these organs further showed myeloid cells as well as non-immune cells with elevated PD-L1 expression in response to vaccination. SPECT/CT imaging of the tumor demonstrated that the expression of PD-L1 remained stable over time and was overall not affected by vaccination although flow cytometric analysis at the cellular level demonstrated changes in PD-L1 expression in various immune cell populations following vaccination. Conclusion: Repeated non-invasive whole-body imaging using 99mTc-labeled anti-PD-L1 nanobodies allows to document the dynamic nature of PD-L1 expression upon vaccination. Galsome vaccination rapidly induced systemic upregulation of PD-L1 expression with the most pronounced upregulation in lungs and liver while flow cytometry analysis showed upregulation of PD-L1 in the tumor microenvironment. This study shows that imaging using nanobodies may be useful for monitoring vaccine-mediated PD-L1 modulation in patients and could provide a rationale for combination therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that visualizes PD-L1 expression upon cancer vaccination.

The dawn of mRNA vaccines: The COVID-19 case.

In less than one year since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, two mRNA-based vaccines, BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273, were granted the first historic authorization for emergency use, while another mRNA vaccine, CVnCoV, progressed to phase 3 clinical testing. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines represent a new class of vaccine products, which consist of synthetic mRNA strands encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein, packaged in lipid nanoparticles to deliver mRNA to cells. This review digs deeper into the scientific breakthroughs of the last decades that laid the foundations for the rapid rise of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. As well as providing momentum for mRNA vaccines, SARS-CoV-2 represents an ideal case study allowing to compare design-activity differences between the different mRNA vaccine candidates. Therefore, a detailed overview of the composition and (pre)clinical performance of the three most advanced mRNA vaccines is provided and the influence of choices in their structural design on to their immunogenicity and reactogenicity profile is discussed in depth. In addition to the new fundamental insights in the mRNA vaccines' mode of action highlighted here, we also point out which unknowns remain that require further investigation and possibly, optimization in future mRNA vaccine development.

Hydrogel-Induced Cell Membrane Disruptions Enable Direct Cytosolic Delivery of Membrane-Impermeable Cargo.

Intracellular delivery of membrane-impermeable cargo offers unique opportunities for biological research and the development of cell-based therapies. Despite the breadth of available intracellular delivery tools, existing protocols are often suboptimal and alternative approaches that merge delivery efficiency with both biocompatibility, as well as applicability, remain highly sought after. Here, a comprehensive platform is presented that exploits the unique property of cationic hydrogel nanoparticles to transiently disrupt the plasma membrane of cells, allowing direct cytosolic delivery of uncomplexed membrane-impermeable cargo. Using this platform, which is termed Hydrogel-enabled nanoPoration or HyPore, the delivery of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran macromolecules in various cancer cell lines and primary bovine corneal epithelial cells is convincingly demonstrated. Of note, HyPore demonstrates efficient FITC-dextran delivery in primary human T cells, outperforming state-of-the-art electroporation-mediated delivery. Moreover, the HyPore platform enables cytosolic delivery of functional proteins, including a histone-binding nanobody as well as the enzymes granzyme A and Cre-recombinase. Finally, HyPore-mediated delivery of the MRI contrast agent gadobutrol in primary human T cells significantly improves their T1 -weighted MRI signal intensities compared to electroporation. Taken together, HyPore is proposed as a straightforward, highly versatile, and cost-effective technique for high-throughput, ex vivo manipulation of primary cells and cell lines.

mRNA Encoding a Bispecific Single Domain Antibody Construct Protects against Influenza A Virus Infection in Mice.

To date, mRNA-based biologics have mainly been developed for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination to combat infectious diseases or cancer. In the past years, optimization of the characteristics of in vitro transcribed mRNA has led to significant reduction of the inflammatory responses. Thanks to this, mRNA therapeutics have entered the field of passive immunization. Here, we established an mRNA treatment that is based on mRNA that codes for a bispecific single-domain antibody construct that can selectively recruit innate immune cells to cells infected with influenza A virus. The constructs consist of a single-domain antibody that binds to the ectodomain of the conserved influenza A matrix protein 2, while the other single-domain antibody binds to the activating mouse Fcγ receptor IV. Formulating the mRNA into DOTAP (1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane)/cholesterol nanoparticles and delivering these intratracheally to mice allowed the production of the bispecific single-domain antibody in the lungs, and administration of these mRNA-particles prior to influenza A virus infection was associated with a significant reduction in viral titers and a reduced morbidity in mice. Overall, our data provide evidence that the local delivery of mRNA encoding a bispecific single-domain antibody format in the lungs could be a promising pulmonary antiviral prophylactic treatment.

Ultrasound-Responsive Cavitation Nuclei for Therapy and Drug Delivery.

Therapeutic ultrasound strategies that harness the mechanical activity of cavitation nuclei for beneficial tissue bio-effects are actively under development. The mechanical oscillations of circulating microbubbles, the most widely investigated cavitation nuclei, which may also encapsulate or shield a therapeutic agent in the bloodstream, trigger and promote localized uptake. Oscillating microbubbles can create stresses either on nearby tissue or in surrounding fluid to enhance drug penetration and efficacy in the brain, spinal cord, vasculature, immune system, biofilm or tumors. This review summarizes recent investigations that have elucidated interactions of ultrasound and cavitation nuclei with cells, the treatment of tumors, immunotherapy, the blood-brain and blood-spinal cord barriers, sonothrombolysis, cardiovascular drug delivery and sonobactericide. In particular, an overview of salient ultrasound features, drug delivery vehicles, therapeutic transport routes and pre-clinical and clinical studies is provided. Successful implementation of ultrasound and cavitation nuclei-mediated drug delivery has the potential to change the way drugs are administered systemically, resulting in more effective therapeutics and less-invasive treatments.

Enhancing Nucleic Acid Delivery with Ultrasound and Microbubbles.

For gene therapy to work in vivo, nucleic acids need to reach the target cells without causing major side effects to the patient. In many cases the gene only has to reach a subset of cells in the body. Therefore, targeted delivery of genes to the desired tissue is a major issue in gene delivery. Many different possibilities of targeted gene delivery have been studied. A physical approach to target nucleic acids and other drugs to specific regions in the body is the use of ultrasound and microbubbles. Microbubbles are gas filled spheres with a stabilizing lipid, protein, or polymer shell. When these microbubbles enter an ultrasonic field, they start to oscillate. The bubbles' expansion and compression are inversely related to the pressure phases in the ultrasonic field. When microbubbles are exposed to high-intensity ultrasound the microbubbles will eventually implode and fragment. This generates shockwaves and microjets which can temporarily permeate cell membranes and blood vessels. Nucleic acids or (non)viral vectors can as a result gain direct access to either the cytoplasm of neighboring cells, or extravasate to the surrounding tissue. The nucleic acids can either be mixed with the microbubbles or loaded on the microbubbles. Nucleic acid loaded microbubbles can be obtained by coupling nucleic acid-containing particles (i.e., lipoplexes) to the microbubbles. Upon ultrasound-mediated implosion of the microbubbles, the nucleic acid-containing particles will be released and will deliver their nucleic acids in the ultrasound-targeted region.

The obstacle course to the inner retina: Hyaluronic acid-coated lipoplexes cross the vitreous but fail to overcome the inner limiting membrane.

Considerable research over the last few years has revealed dysregulation of growth factors in various retinal diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and photoreceptor degenerations. The use of messengerRNA (mRNA) to transiently overexpress a specific factor could compensate for this imbalance. However, a critical challenge of this approach lies in the ability to efficiently deliver mRNA molecules to the retinal target cells. In this study we found that intravitreal (IVT) injection is an attractive approach to deliver mRNA to the retina, providing two critical barriers can be overcome: the vitreous and the inner limiting membrane (ILM). We demonstrated that the vitreous is indeed a major hurdle in the delivery of the cationic mRNA-complexes to retinal cells, both in terms of vitreal mobility and cellular uptake. To improve their intravitreal mobility and avoid unwanted extracellular interactions, we evaluated the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) as an electrostatic coating strategy. This HA-coating provided the complexes with a negative surface charge, markedly enhancing their mobility in the vitreous humor, without reducing their cellular internalization and transfection efficiency. However, although this coating strategy allows the mRNA-complexes to successfully overcome the vitreal barrier, the majority of the particles accumulated at the ILM. This study therefore underscores the crucial barrier function of the ILM toward non-viral retinal gene delivery and the need to smartly design mRNA-carriers able to surmount the vitreous as well as the ILM.

Broadening the Message: A Nanovaccine Co-loaded with Messenger RNA and α-GalCer Induces Antitumor Immunity through Conventional and Natural Killer T Cells.

Messenger RNA encoding tumor antigens has the potential to evoke effective antitumor immunity. This study reports on a nanoparticle platform, named mRNA Galsomes, that successfully co-delivers nucleoside-modified antigen-encoding mRNA and the glycolipid antigen and immunopotentiator α-galactosylceramide (α-GC) to antigen-presenting cells after intravenous administration. By co-formulating low doses of α-GC, mRNA Galsomes induce a pluripotent innate and adaptive tumor-specific immune response in mice, with invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) as a driving force. In comparison, mRNA Galsomes exhibit advantages over the state-of-the-art cancer vaccines using unmodified ovalbumin (OVA)-encoding mRNA, as we observed up to seven times more tumor-infiltrating antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells, combined with a strong iNKT cell and NK cell activation. In addition, the presence of suppressive myeloid cells (myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumor-associated macrophages) in the tumor microenvironment was significantly lowered. Owing to these antitumor effects, OVA mRNA Galsomes significantly reduced tumor growth in established E.G7-OVA lymphoma, with a complete tumor rejection in 40% of the animals. Moreover, therapeutic vaccination with mRNA Galsomes enhanced the responsiveness to treatment with a PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor in B16-OVA melanoma, as evidenced by a synergistic reduction of tumor outgrowth and a significantly prolonged median survival. Taken together, these data show that intravenously administered mRNA Galsomes can provide controllable, multifaceted, and effective antitumor immunity, especially when combined with checkpoint inhibition.

Sonoprinting of nanoparticle-loaded microbubbles: Unraveling the multi-timescale mechanism.

Ultrasound-triggered microbubble-assisted drug delivery is a promising tool for localized therapy. Several studies have shown the potential of nanoparticle-loaded microbubbles to effectively enhance the delivery of therapeutic agents to target tissue. We recently discovered that nanoparticle-carrying microbubbles can deposit the nanoparticles in patches onto cell membranes, a process which we termed 'sonoprinting'. However, the biophysical mechanisms behind sonoprinting are not entirely clear. In addition, the question remains how the ultrasound parameters, such as acoustic pressure and pulse duration, influence sonoprinting. Aiming for a better understanding of sonoprinting, this report investigates the behavior of nanoparticle-loaded microbubbles under ultrasound exposure, making use of three advanced optical imaging techniques with frame rates ranging from 5 frames per second to 10 million frames per second, to capture the biophysical cell-bubble interactions that occur on a multitude of timescales. We observed that non-spherically oscillating microbubbles release their nanoparticle payload in the first few cycles of ultrasound insonation. At low acoustic pressures, the released nanoparticles are transported away from the cells by microstreaming, which does not favor uptake of the nanoparticles by the cells. However, higher acoustic pressures (>300 kPa) and longer ultrasound pulses (>100 cycles) lead to rapid translation of the microbubbles, due to acoustic radiation forces. As a result, the released nanoparticles are transported along in the wake of the microbubbles, which eventually leads to the deposition of nanoparticles in elongated patches on the cell membrane, i.e. sonoprinting. We conclude that a sufficiently high acoustic pressure and long pulses are needed for sonoprinting of nanoparticles on cells.

Non-viral delivery of chemically modified mRNA to the retina: Subretinal versus intravitreal administration.

mRNA therapeutics have recently experienced a new wave of interest, mainly due to the discovery that chemical modifications to mRNA's molecular structure could drastically reduce its inherent immunogenicity and perceived instability. On this basis, we aimed to explore the potential of chemically stabilized mRNA for ocular applications. More specifically, we investigated the behavior of mRNA-loaded lipid-based carriers in human retinal cells (in vitro), in bovine retinal explants (ex vivo) and in mouse retinas (in vivo). We demonstrate a clear superiority of mRNA over pDNA to induce protein expression in different retinal cell types, which was further enhanced by chemical modification of the mRNA, providing up to ~1800-fold higher reporter gene expression compared to pDNA. Moreover, transgene expression could be detected for at least 20 days after a single administration of chemically modified mRNA in vitro. We furthermore determined the localization and extent of mRNA expression depending on the administration route. After subretinal (SR) administration, mRNA expression was observed in vivo and ex vivo. By contrast, intravitreal (IVT) administration resulted in limited expression in vivo. Using ex vivo bovine explants with an intact vitreoretinal (VR) interface we could attribute this to the inner limiting membrane (ILM), which presents a large barrier for non-viral delivery of mRNA, trapping mRNA complexes at the vitreal side. When the vitreous was removed, which compromises the ILM, mRNA expression was apparent and seemed to colocalize with Müller cells or photoreceptors after respectively IVT or SR administration. Taken together, this study represents a first step towards mRNA-mediated therapy for retinal diseases.

Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Treated PBS Eliminates Immunosuppressive Pancreatic Stellate Cells and Induces Immunogenic Cell Death of Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive cancers with a low response to treatment and a five-year survival rate below 5%. The ineffectiveness of treatment is partly because of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which comprises tumor-supportive pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are needed to tackle both the immunosuppressive PSC and pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs). Recently, physical cold atmospheric plasma consisting of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species has emerged as a novel treatment option for cancer. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of plasma-treated phosphate-buffered saline (pPBS) using three PSC lines and four PCC lines and examined the immunogenicity of the induced cell death. We observed a decrease in the viability of PSC and PCC after pPBS treatment, with a higher efficacy in the latter. Two PCC lines expressed and released damage-associated molecular patterns characteristic of the induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD). In addition, pPBS-treated PCC were highly phagocytosed by dendritic cells (DCs), resulting in the maturation of DC. This indicates the high potential of pPBS to trigger ICD. In contrast, pPBS induced no ICD in PSC. In general, pPBS treatment of PCCs and PSCs created a more immunostimulatory secretion profile (higher TNF-α and IFN-γ, lower TGF-ß) in coculture with DC. Altogether, these data show that plasma treatment via pPBS has the potential to induce ICD in PCCs and to reduce the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment created by PSCs. Therefore, these data provide a strong experimental basis for further in vivo validation, which might potentially open the way for more successful combination strategies with immunotherapy for PDAC.

Co-delivery of nucleoside-modified mRNA and TLR agonists for cancer immunotherapy: Restoring the immunogenicity of immunosilent mRNA.

This study reports on the design of mRNA and adjuvant-loaded lipid nanoparticles for therapeutic cancer vaccination. The use of nucleoside-modified mRNA has previously been shown to improve the translational capacity and safety of mRNA-therapeutics, as it prevents the induction of type I interferons (IFNs). However, type I IFNs were identified as the key molecules that trigger the activation of antigen presenting cells, and as such drive T cell immunity. We demonstrate that nucleoside-modified mRNA can be co-delivered with the clinically approved TLR agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA). As such, we simultaneously allow high antigen expression in vivo while substituting the type I IFN response by a more controllable adjuvant. This strategy shows promise to induce effective antigen-specific T cell immunity and may be useful to enhance the safety of mRNA vaccines.

Evading innate immunity in nonviral mRNA delivery: don't shoot the messenger.

In the field of nonviral gene therapy, in vitro transcribed (IVT) mRNA has emerged as a promising tool for the delivery of genetic information. Over the past few years it has become widely known that the introduction of IVT mRNA into mammalian cells elicits an innate immune response that has favored mRNA use toward immunotherapeutic vaccination strategies. However, for non-immunotherapy-related applications this intrinsic immune-stimulatory activity directly interferes with the aimed therapeutic outcome, because it can seriously compromise the expression of the desired protein. This review presents an overview of the immune-related obstacles that limit mRNA advance for non-immunotherapy-related applications.

Hitchhiking nanoparticles: Reversible coupling of lipid-based nanoparticles to cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Following intravenous injection of anti-cancer nanomedicines, many barriers need to be overcome en route to the tumor. Cell-mediated delivery of nanoparticles (NPs) is promising in terms of overcoming several of these barriers based on the tumoritropic migratory properties of particular cell types. This guided transport aims to enhance the NP accumulation in the tumor and moreover enhance the infiltration of regions that are typically inaccessible for free NPs. Within this study, cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells were selected as carriers based on both their ability to migrate to the tumor and their intrinsic cytolytic activity against tumor cells. Many anti-cancer nanomedicines require tumor cell internalization to mediate cytosolic drug delivery and enhance the anti-cancer effect. This proof-of-concept therefore reports on the reversible attachment of liposomes to the surface of cytotoxic T lymphocytes via a reduction sensitive coupling. The activation status of the T cells and the liposome composition are shown to strongly influence the loading efficiency. Loading the cells with liposomes does not compromise T cell functionalities like proliferation and cytolytic function. Additionally, the triggered liposome release is demonstrated upon the addition of glutathione. Based on this optimization using liposomes as model NPs, a small interfering RNA (siRNA)-loaded NP was developed that can be coupled to the surface of CD8(+) T cells.

Particle-mediated Intravenous Delivery of Antigen mRNA Results in Strong Antigen-specific T-cell Responses Despite the Induction of Type I Interferon.

Cancer vaccines based on mRNA are extensively studied. The fragile nature of mRNA has instigated research into carriers that can protect it from ribonucleases and as such enable its systemic use. However, carrier-mediated delivery of mRNA has been linked to production of type I interferon (IFN) that was reported to compromise the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines. In this study, we evaluated a cationic lipid for encapsulation of mRNA. The nanometer-sized, negatively charged lipid mRNA particles (LMPs) efficiently transfected dendritic cells and macrophages in vitro. Furthermore, i.v. delivery of LMPs resulted in rapid expression of the mRNA-encoded protein in spleen and liver, predominantly in CD11c(+) cells and to a minor extent in CD11b(+) cells. Intravenous immunization of mice with LMPs containing ovalbumin, human papilloma virus E7, and tyrosinase-related protein-2 mRNA, either combined or separately, elicited strong antigen-specific T-cell responses. We further showed the production of type I IFNs upon i.v. LMP delivery. Although this decreased the expression of the mRNA-encoded protein, it supported the induction of antigen-specific T-cell responses. These data question the current notion that type I IFNs hamper particle-mediated mRNA vaccines.

The ReNAissanCe of mRNA-based cancer therapy.

About 25 years ago, mRNA became a tool of interest in anticancer vaccination approaches. However, due to its rapid degradation in situ, direct application of mRNA was confronted with considerable skepticism during its early use. Consequently, mRNA was for a long time mainly used for the ex vivo transfection of dendritic cells, professional antigen-presenting cells known to stimulate immunity. The interest in direct application of mRNA experienced a revival, as researchers became aware of the many advantages mRNA offers. Today, mRNA is considered to be an ideal vehicle for the induction of strong immune responses against cancer. The growing numbers of preclinical trials and as a consequence the increasing clinical application of mRNA as an off-the-shelf anticancer vaccine signifies a renaissance for transcript-based antitumor therapy. In this review, we highlight this renaissance using a timeline providing all milestones in the application of mRNA for anticancer vaccination.

Theranostic mRNA-loaded microbubbles in the lymphatics of dogs: implications for drug delivery.

Microbubbles have shown potential as intralymphatic ultrasound contrast agents while nanoparticle-loaded microbubbles are increasingly investigated for ultrasound-triggered drug and gene delivery. To explore whether mRNA-nanoparticle loaded microbubbles could serve as theranostics for detection of and mRNA transfer to the lymph nodes, we investigate the behavior of unloaded and mRNA-loaded microbubbles using contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging after subcutaneous injection in dogs. Our results indicate that both types of microbubbles are equally capable of rapidly entering the lymph vessels and nodes upon injection, and novel, valuable and detailed information on the lymphatic structure in the animals could be obtained. Furthermore, additional observations were made regarding the dynamics of microbubble lymph node uptake. Importantly, neither the microbubble migration distance within the lymphatics, nor the observed contrast signal intensity was influenced by mRNA-loading. Although further optimization of acoustic parameters will be needed, this could represent a first step towards ultrasound-guided, ultrasound-triggered intranodal mRNA delivery using these theranostic microbubbles.