COVID-19 Inventor Showcase

Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccine is one of the leading candidates for fighting against COVID-19. In our work, we systematically investigated the untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNAs in order to enhance antigen production. Through a comprehensive analysis and engineering of UTRs, we identified the optimal UTR sequences, termed as NASAR, which significantly enhanced the production of SARS-CoV-2 antigens. The NASAR mRNA encoding SARS-CoV-2 antigens induced strong immune responses in mice. More importantly, this novel mRNA-based platform provide broad applicability to a wide variety of therapeutic applications.