猴痘病毒mRNA疫苗的研发进展

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Poxviridae family under the Orthopoxvirus genus. It is one of the four pathogenic viruses for humans in this genus, along with Variola, Vaccinia, and Cowpox viruses. It was first isolated from monkeys in Copenhagen in 1958. The first human case of the disease was reported in 1970 in a 9-month-old infant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Since May 2022, a series of Monkeypox cases have been reported in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Italy, with instances of human-to-human transmission, raising concerns. On July 23, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Monkeypox outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC). Currently, two smallpox vaccines have been approved by the United States of America, namely, the ACAM2000 and the JYNNEOS vaccines. Despite the fact that it has been validated for efficacy in protecting against Monkeypox virus infection in animal trials, reports have suggested that it may cause adverse reactions in humans after vaccination. This highlights the need to develop a safe and effective monkeypox vaccine in order to address the ongoing global pandemic. mRNA vaccines have gained popularity in recent years due to their success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, offering superior immunity protection compared to conventional vaccines. Consequently, it provides an important foundation for the development of mRNA vaccines for the Monkeypox virus. The world’s first mRNA vaccine for Monkeypox was successfully developed in China, demonstrating excellent immune protection across three different mRNA antigen combinations. Other research teams have also engineered multivalent Monkeypox mRNA vaccines, effectively resisting mouse mortality caused by Vaccinia virus infection. The application of Monkeypox mRNA vaccines has shown promising safety profiles at the animal level, paving the way for potential vaccine application. Moreover, BioNTech has initiated clinical trials (NCT05988203) for its mRNA vaccines BNT166a and BNT166c, which are currently in the recruitment phase. Since the monkeypox epidemic, MPXV has become the primary orthopoxvirus causing highly pathogenic, contagious infectious diseases after the Variola virus. This poses significant health risks and economic losses. mRNA vaccine technology offers a rapid, flexible, and powerful approach for preventing the rapid spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19, seasonal influenza, or Monkeypox compared to traditional vaccine technologies. Combination vaccines (cocktail vaccine therapy) based on mRNA technology have the potential to provide effective protection against a variety of infectious diseases at the same time. Importantly, mRNA vaccine technology provides a potential solution for historically challenging infectious diseases like HIV. However, despite that Monkeypox virus belongs to the DNA virus category, its global spread significantly exacerbates the likelihood of viral mutations. Mutations may increase the pathogenicity of the monkeypox virus and increase the risk of infection, as well as posing significant risks to the efficacy of vaccines. Moreover, current Monkeypox vaccine development primarily involves the evaluation of the protective effectiveness of the vaccine in animals, but no detailed data have been available on the immune responses of humans, especially regarding the durability and memory effects of the vaccine immunity. Although the mRNA vaccine technology has been proven to be safe and effective during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary, however, to conduct extensive experimental testing during the development process of Monkeypox mRNA vaccines to ensure their safety. In conclusion, more targeted scientific research should be conducted to develop a more reliable and effective vaccine against Monkeypox in order to eliminate the threat it poses to human health.