Since Donald Trump assumed the US presidency in January, significant shifts have occurred in both foreign and domestic policy. A sector particularly vulnerable to the new regulations and budget cuts has been the scientific community, especially researchers dependent on federal grants. Numerous fields, including LGBTQ+ health, gender identity studies, climate and environmental research, and various medical research disciplines, have experienced funding losses. A recent casualty of these cuts is research into vaccine hesitancy, with over 30 grants dedicated to understanding public mistrust of immunizations being terminated, according to US media reports.

The role of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, looms large amidst these funding cuts. According to KFF Health News, acting National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Matthew Memoli requested details on “grants, contracts, or collaborations” related to mRNA vaccine research to be provided to Kennedy and the White House. Similar requests reportedly preceded the decision to halt support for vaccine hesitancy research. Researchers, who chose to remain anonymous, also reported that NIH officials advised them to remove references to mRNA from their grant applications.

Cessation of mRNA research could have extensive repercussions, as the technology is at the forefront of modern medical advancements. Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology gained prominence as the basis for the COVID-19 vaccines developed by BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna within a year of the coronavirus pandemic. The scientists behind this technology were even awarded a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Unlike traditional vaccines that use an inactivated version of a virus, the BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use mRNA, a genetic molecule present in multicellular organisms. This mRNA acts as a template, instructing the body to produce specific proteins. In the case of COVID vaccines, the mRNA prompts cells to produce proteins identical to the spike proteins on the coronavirus's outer shell. Consequently, the vaccinated individual’s immune system can identify and attack the pathogen upon infection. These vaccines proved highly effective in preventing severe symptoms and are credited with saving countless lives.

Despite the success, conspiracy theories claiming that these vaccines alter the DNA of recipients have fueled distrust. However, these fears are unfounded, as mRNA vaccines do not enter the cell's nucleus where our primary genetic information is stored.

mRNA vaccines are also being explored for other diseases, including malaria and cancer. While the only widely used malaria vaccine, RTS,S or Mosquirix, is not an mRNA vaccine, mRNA-based malaria vaccines are under development. Such vaccines could potentially combat the mosquito-borne disease that causes approximately 600,000 deaths annually, the majority being children under five. In 2023, a research team from New Zealand and Australia announced the development of an mRNA vaccine successful in animal models. This vaccine stimulates immune cells in the liver, where the malaria-causing Plasmodium parasite migrates after entering the bloodstream.

While transitioning from animal models to human trials and ultimately a viable vaccine is a lengthy process, experts believe mRNA vaccines are particularly suited for tackling malaria due to their adaptability to mutations in the disease. This adaptability is also advantageous for mRNA flu vaccines currently in development. German pharmaceutical company BioNTech had initiated phase one and two trials of its mRNA malaria vaccine, involving human testing. However, on March 5, 2025, the FDA in the US halted these trials, requesting changes. BioNTech is currently collaborating with the FDA to address these requests.

Furthermore, mRNA vaccines are being investigated for treating challenging cancers. For instance, researchers in the US are developing a vaccine to prevent the recurrence of pancreatic cancer after the initial tumor is surgically removed. A recent phase one clinical trial demonstrated that the vaccine activated tumor-specific immune cells in some patients, which persisted for up to four years post-treatment. This personalized pancreatic cancer vaccine, a collaborative effort between BioNTech and Genentech, triggers the body's cells to produce neoantigens, specific proteins unique to each patient's tumor. This process trains the immune system to recognize and combat cancer cells. The trial results were published in Nature in February 2025.

If the US were to completely cease federal funding for mRNA research, the progress of cancer or malaria vaccines would be significantly jeopardized.