Messenger RNA Can Do More for Medicine
By Wei Tao, Xiangang Huang
A pill form of the therapeutic technology would increase its potential uses and ease distribution and administration challenges.
This Article From Issue
January-February 2026
Volume 114, Number 1
Page 32
For more than half a century, messenger RNA (mRNA) was relegated to the shadows of molecular biology. This humble courier of genetic instructions received little attention outside of biology classrooms and research labs. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Practically overnight, mRNA became a household term, celebrated as the backbone of vaccines that helped turn the tide of a global health crisis. By harnessing mRNA’s ability to reprogram our own cells to manufacture protective proteins, scientists opened an astonishing new chapter in medicine.
QUICK TAKE
- mRNA therapeutics delivered orally through a pill could widen access to vaccines and transform the treatment of many chronic health conditions.
- But first, researchers must devise how to keep mRNA intact as it encounters stomach acid, RNA-degrading enzymes, and many other threats in the digestive tract.
- This technology is on the horizon. A pill that shepherds mRNA through the stomach and directly into intestinal cells has shown promise in rat models of intestinal disease.
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