Table 1 Timeline of key advances in mRNA delivery technology

1961

Discovery of mRNA [14].

1969

First in vitro translation of isolated mRNA [15].

1978

Delivery of mRNA by using liposomes [16].

1984

In vitro synthesis of biologically active RNA [17].

1989

Development of cationic lipid-mediated mRNA delivery [18].

1990

Demonstration that naked mRNA injected into mice is translated [19].

1992

Injection of mRNA into rats for the treatment of diabetes insipidus [2].

1993

Early reports of mRNA applications for infectious disease vaccines [20].

1995

Early reports of mRNA applications for cancer vaccines [21].

2001

First clinical trial of using mRNA-transfected dendritic cells in vitro [22].

2005

Demonstration that nucleotide modification can reduce the immunogenicity of RNAs [23].

2010

Generating iPSC by using mRNA [24].

2017

First testing of a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine in humans [25].

2020

COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines approved by FDA [8, 26].