messenger RNA: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 7, 2026

News •

Moderna's mRNA flu and flu-COVID combo vaccines have been approved by Health Canada • Nov. 6, 2026, 11:39 AM ET (CBC)

Personalized mRNA vaccine for melanoma cut risk of cancer’s return in late-stage trial • Oct. 23, 2026, 2:42 PM ET (NBC)

Experimental mRNA vaccine cuts risk that melanoma returns by 42% • Oct. 22, 2026, 4:26 PM ET (CNN)

Facts

Also Known As	mRNA • messenger ribonucleic acid

Photos

Diagram showing protein synthesis: The top section illustrates ribosomes moving along messenger RNA to build a protein chain. The bottom section details transfer RNA molecules matching codons on the mRNA within a ribosome, adding amino acids to a growing polypeptide chain.

Diagram illustrating the process of protein synthesis: DNA unzips in the nucleus, messenger RNA (mRNA) forms on the DNA strands, and then mRNA moves to a ribosome where transfer RNA (tRNA) helps assemble amino acids into a protein chain.

RNA polymerase II; messenger RNA

transcription and translation

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Topics

leader sequence mRNA vaccine RNA transcription ribosomal RNA transfer RNA microRNA Ribose What Is the Difference Between DNA and RNA?

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Nucleic acid: Messenger RNA (mRNA)

Key People

Phillip A. Sharp, 1993.

Phillip A. Sharp

American physiologist

François Jacob, 1965.

François Jacob

French biologist

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Jacques Monod

French biochemist