Human blood study compares RNA integrity across three mRNA vaccine platforms
Published in Immunology, Journals, Nanomedicine.
Published October 17, 2026.
An October 16 announcement from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute describes a comparison of three mRNA vaccine platforms that could help researchers improve nanoparticle-based delivery.
Working with the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, the team analysed 327 blood samples from 73 people who received Moderna, Pfizer or an investigational COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. The ACS Nano study examined both the RNA cargo and its lipid packaging, including how their levels declined and whether the RNA remained intact.
The platforms showed different behaviour in blood. Much of the circulating RNA detected in the Moderna and Pfizer groups was fragmented. A closer examination of six Moderna recipients found uneven integrity along the molecule, with a similar pattern already present in the original formulation.
These measurements offer a framework for comparing future mRNA medicines, including experimental cancer vaccines. They do not establish that one vaccine offers better clinical protection or safety. Improving stability might eventually support more efficient dosing, but lower doses and fewer side effects remain goals requiring direct testing.
Sources: ONJCRI research announcement, October 16, 2026; ACS Nano study, “In Vivo Blood Kinetics and Transcript Integrity of Three mRNA–Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccines in Humans”.