An mRNA vaccine confers enhanced protection against herpes sim-plex virus through a type I interferon-dependent pathway

In this study, we developed three mRNA vaccine candidates expressing key viral glycopro-teins: monovalent gD2, bivalent gD2-gC1, and bivalent gD2-gE1. We assessed their immunogenicity and protective efficacy in a murine model.

All candidates elicited robust humoral and cellular immunity and provided significant protection against in-travaginal HSV challenge. Notably, the gD2-gE1 vaccine induced markedly stronger immune responses. Mechanistically, its superior immunoprotective efficacy was asso-ciated with the stronger IFN‑I response, which thereby enhanced the adaptive immune response.