New LNP-based mRNA vaccine candidate protects against lethal SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical trials Even as over a score of vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been rolled out following their emergence use authorization, others continue to be researched to fill the global need for effective deployment the world over. A new study, published in Nano Letters, describes an effective new vaccine candidate based on a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) platform. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) attaches to host cells via its spike protein, causing the cell membrane to fuse with the virus to accomplish viral entry via endocytosis. The spike interacts with the host cell receptor, the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), at the receptor-binding domain (RBD), which forms the basis of the current vaccine candidate.