Effectiveness of RNA-Based Vaccines Beyond COVID-19 Applications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63345/ijrmp.v11.i5.2

Malvika Dutta

Independent Researcher

Kolkata, India

Abstract

The emergence of RNA‐based vaccines during the COVID‐19 pandemic has underscored the potential of this novel technology to revolutionize preventive medicine. Beyond their pivotal role in combating SARS‐CoV‐2, RNA vaccines offer a versatile platform for addressing a range of infectious diseases and even non‐infectious conditions such as cancer. This manuscript reviews the development and mechanism of RNA‐based vaccines, discusses their efficacy in preclinical and early clinical studies against diseases other than COVID‐19, and evaluates methodological approaches for assessing their performance. An extensive literature review until 2021 reveals promising applications in influenza, Zika virus, cytomegalovirus, and cancer immunotherapy. Methodologically, the study synthesizes available data using a mixed‐methods design comprising systematic literature review and meta‐analysis of preclinical trials. The results demonstrate that RNA vaccines can evoke robust immune responses with a favorable safety profile, although challenges such as stability, delivery, and regulatory hurdles remain. The paper concludes that RNA‐based vaccines have considerable potential beyond the COVID‐19 landscape, albeit with scope for further research to address outstanding technical and translational limitations.

Keywords

RNA vaccines, mRNA technology, immunogenicity, infectious diseases, cancer immunotherapy, vaccine efficacy, translational medicine

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