Progress and Challenges of Messenger RNA Vaccines in the Therapeutics of NSCLC

Simple Summary Currently, cancer immunotherapy is rapidly developing, including the use of monoclonal antibodies, adoptive T-cells, and mRNA vaccines. Due to their extensive use during the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA vaccines are proving to be a promising therapeutic strategy for various medical fields, such as oncology. A number of clinical trials aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of these vaccines in the treatment of solid tumors. Several studies are in the process of investigating mRNA vaccines when combined with other immunotherapeutic drugs and methods. Research has yet to provide practice-changing results considering NSCLC. However, based on the existing outcomes of the ongoing studies, an increase in clinician awareness of this therapeutic approach is significantly important. Therefore, the goal of this review is to highlight the progress and obstacles concerning the development of mRNA vaccines for the treatment of NSCLC and present ways in which they could be used in clinical practice.Abstract The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the therapeutics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been a game-changer in the management of patients with lung cancer; however, challenges do exist since a non-negligible subset of patients does not respond to therapy. Various immunotherapeutic anticancer strategies have been increasingly developed in recent years, including monoclonal antibodies, adoptive T-cell therapy, and vaccines. Fueled by their rapid drug development and successful implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines represent an emerging therapeutic approach in other fields of medicine, including oncology. Several clinical trials are currently being conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines regarding a variety of solid tumors. Combining mRNA vaccines with other immunotherapeutic approaches has also been suggested and is currently under investigation. Although, in the case of NSCLC, the investigation is still in its early stages, the initial results raise the need for clinician awareness of these promising therapies. To this end, in the present review, we aim to summarize current advances in the development of mRNA vaccines in NSCLC therapeutics and discuss pragmatic challenges regarding their drug development and the different opportunities for implementation.