mRNA-based therapeutics in lung Cancer: Mechanisms, applications, and translational challenges

Lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies worldwide owing to late diagnosis, molecular heterogeneity, and development of therapeutic resistance. Recent global cancer statistics indicate that it accounts for approximately 2.5 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths annually. The rise of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology has become a highly effective approach in the fight against infectious diseases, particularly highlighted by its successful use in COVID-19 vaccines. Accordingly, mRNA-based therapeutics have emerged as a versatile and adaptable approach with a high potential to address the limitations of conventional cancer treatments. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the available cancer treatments and their limitations, summarize the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in lung cancer progression, and introduce the mRNA-based approach and its application in lung cancer, including mRNA vaccines, targeted protein therapy, immune-modulating therapy, gene editing, and cellular reprogramming approaches. Furthermore, we discuss the main mechanisms underlying mRNA-based therapies, address current applications, and evaluate approaches to overcome the limitations and challenges associated with mRNA-based therapies. Overall, mRNA-based therapy represents a flexible and rapidly evolving approach that, with further research and development, will reshape precision treatment of lung cancer.