New Insights in Nucleic Acid Approaches for Vaccine and Biologic Delivery

The use of the nucleic acid platform for antigen delivery has expanded rapidly in the past decade, highlighted by the development and deployment of several nucleic acid vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 and the recent Nobel Prize in Medicine for the development of mRNA vaccines. Several clinical trials evaluating this important platform in the context of other infectious diseases are ongoing. The nucleic acid platform also supports the delivery of biologics. RNA and DNA-encoded monoclonal antibodies and biologics represent a cost-effective, potentially dose-sparing delivery method which could decrease production costs and patient discomfort. Similarly, clinical trials evaluating the use of DNA and RNA to deliver biologics in the context of infectious diseases and cancer immunotherapy have begun. While DNA delivery has been under investigation for a longer period, several challenges related to expression remain. Similarly, lipid nanoparticle-mediated mRNA delivery supports robust immunogenicity, but patient tolerability concerns remain.



The goal of this Research Topic is to critically examine nucleic acid-based approaches for vaccine and biologic delivery in the treatment of cancer, and genetic, metabolic, and infectious diseases. We also welcome studies focused on using the nucleic acid platform for vaccine and adjuvant delivery and those identifying novel delivery methods thereof.



We are interested in Original Research, Clinical Trial, Mini Review, and Systematic Review articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Preclinical studies comparing traditional delivery platforms to nucleic acid delivery platforms for antibody and biologic delivery

• Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrating the efficacy of the nucleic acid platform for biologic delivery in the context of cancer and infectious diseases

• Mechanistic and pharmacokinetic studies of gene-delivered monoclonal antibodies and biologics

• Identification of novel delivery methods for nucleic acid-delivered biologics and vaccine antigens

• Identification of molecular mechanisms to enhance and prolong nucleic acid delivered protein expression in vivo

• Mechanistic studies characterizing in vivo expression profiles of nucleic acid delivered antigens and biologics

• Studies comparing traditional protein and viral vectored vaccine approaches with nucleic acid-based approaches

• Identification of novel genetic adjuvants and their evaluation in the context of nucleic acid vaccines

Keywords: vaccines, RNA, DNA, mRNA, monoclonal antibodies, nucleic acid delivery platforms, biologic delivery, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, genetic diseases, cancer, adjuvants

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.