Washington, June 8 -- A new type of mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H5N1, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Pennsylvania State University.

The study was published today in npj Vaccines.

Though highly effective at inducing an immune response, current mRNA vaccines, such as those used to prevent COVID-19, present two significant challenges: the high amount of mRNA needed to produce them and the constantly evolving nature of the pathogen.

"The virus changes, moving the goal post, and updating the vaccine takes some time," said senior author Suresh Kuchipudi, Ph.D., chair of Infectious Diseases and Microbiol...