Meet the Nucleic Acid Insights Senior Editor: Andreas Kuhn

Nucleic Acid Insights 2026; 3(2), 103–106

DOI: 10.18609/nuc.2026.012

Published: 13 March
Interview
Andreas Kuhn

Andreas Kuhn has worked with RNA for almost thirty years. This started with his diploma and PhD theses on the structure and function of small non-coding RNAs using biochemical and molecular biology methods. In his post-doctoral work, Andreas studied RNA-protein interactions in the spliceosome in yeast and later worked on small molecules to affect pre-mRNA splicing. His work on mRNA-based immunotherapies began in 2007 in the academic group of Ugur Sahin at the University Clinic Mainz, and Andreas joined BioNTech SE shortly after its founding in 2008. In his current role as Senior Vice President RNA Biochemistry & CMC Development the main focus is expanding proprietary technologies to increase the efficacy of mRNA-based therapies and to develop and optimize GMP-compatible manufacturing processes for RNA.

Jokūbas Leikauskas, Editor, Nucleic Acid Insights, welcomes Andreas Kuhn, Senior Vice President, RNA Biochemistry & CMC Development, BioNTech SE, as a Senior Editor of Nucleic Acid Insights. In this article, they discuss major recent developments in the mRNA therapeutics field, including personalized cancer immunotherapy and advances in gene editing, as well as the key obstacles that must be overcome to reach broader patient populations.

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What inspired your journey into the nucleic acid therapeutics field?

AK: During my Chemistry studies, I became fascinated by RNA as a versatile molecule that can perform multiple functions within a cell. It can encode genetic information as mRNA, play structural roles, and have enzymatic functions, among others. After more than a decade of academic research on the structure and function of different RNA classes, I had the opportunity to apply my expertise and experience in biomedical research and to use the knowledge I gained over the years to hopefully, ultimately help people by developing RNA‑based therapeutics.

From your background and current role, what aspects of nucleic acid therapeutics excite you the most today?

AK: I am excited about the individualized cancer immunotherapy approach, in which a tumor sample is taken, sequenced, and tumor‑specific antigens called neoepitopes are identified. Then, a tailor‑made mRNA‑based therapeutic is made for each individual patient, encoding the selected neoepitopes like pearls on a string. mRNA is ideally suited for this approach because its platform‑like manufacturing process enables developers to encode any sequence and easily produce it. There have been very exciting results in recent years from this approach across different companies, which clearly demonstrate it is a worthwhile approach to pursue.

In the broader context, I am also excited about various gene‑editing efforts that are now gaining traction. Again, mRNA is ideally suited to encode the various nucleases or base editors currently in trial. I think this will deliver strong results, as we have already seen in the Baby KJ case, which was in the news about six months ago and involved a personalized in vivo gene editing therapy [1].

What has been the most pivotal development in the mRNA‑based therapeutics space in the past decade?

AK: While the Baby KJ event would be at the upper end of that list, I think the real game‑changer was the COVID‑19 pandemic. People had long discussed the promise of mRNA, and there had been significant progress. Then it was put to the test in a direct way: several companies decided to go ‘all in’, and an mRNA‑based coronavirus vaccine was developed in record time.

That clearly brought us into the bright light of the industry and the whole world at that time, demonstrating the power of mRNA. Of course, expectations were very high, and it was seen as the ‘next big thing’. Overall, I think the development of mRNA‑based COVID‑19 vaccines really changed the field.

In your view, what are the biggest obstacles the field must overcome to reach its full potential – whether scientific, regulatory, manufacturing, or delivery‑related? How can these hurdles be addressed?

AK: Firstly, one of the biggest hurdles is delivery. Having the right formulation and delivery system for your approach is probably going to make or break companies. Of course, we have seen the success of lipid nanoparticle formulation in prophylactic vaccines. However, for many of these other approaches, improved or entirely new formulations will likely be necessary. Currently, the liver is relatively easy to target, but treating diseases in other organs or delivering mRNA to tumors requires developing targeted delivery approaches. Some researchers have already started addressing this by incorporating antibody fragments or aptamers into their formulations to help ensure that the mRNA reaches the intended target cells.

Secondly, regulatory obstacles still exist. While there is now a handful of initial or draft guidelines available, I think bringing greater clarity to the field on expectations here and on those of regulatory agencies will make a massive difference.

Thirdly, another bottleneck is the availability of analytical tools. I think we need more and better technologies to characterize mRNA products and, of course, the formulated nanoparticles. This will help shape manufacturing processes, as the more we understand our molecule using these technologies, the better we can refine it.

Lastly, further improving the mRNA molecule itself is also important. It has been a valuable tool in vaccine development, where you need only a small amount of your antigen of interest, and the immune system acts as a powerful accelerator, amplifying the response. However, when the goal is to express functional proteins, further improvements may be needed. One way to achieve that might be to make therapeutic mRNA more closely resemble endogenous mRNA.

Lastly, what motivated you to join the Nucleic Acid Insights Editorial Advisory Board?

AK: One part of my job that I have always enjoyed is sharing news and know‑how about the science I work on, both by presenting at conferences and by writing research papers and reviews. Recently, I had the opportunity to co‑edit, together with Ana Margarida Azevedo, Rok Sekirnik, and Zoltán Kis, a special issue on the in vitro transcription reaction – the process by which mRNA is synthesized – in the journal Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. This allowed me to help raise awareness of mRNA research. This is also the reason for my engagement with the Alliance of mRNA Medicines. Similarly, as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Nucleic Acid Insights, I would like to help strengthen the visibility of the field of mRNA‑based therapeutics and vaccines.

References

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. World’s first patient treated with personalized CRISPR gene editing therapy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. May 15, 2025. Link

Affiliation

Andreas Kuhn, BioNTech SE, Senior Vice President RNA Biochemistry & CMC Development

AUTHORSHIP & CONFLICT OF INTEREST 

Contributions: The named author takes responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, and has given their approval for this version to be published.

Acknowledgements: None.

Disclosure and potential conflicts of interest: Andreas Kuhn is an employee of and own shares of BioNTech SE, a company developing mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines.

Funding declaration: The author received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

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ARTICLE & COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Copyright: Published by Nucleic Acid Insights under Creative Commons License Deed CC BY NC ND 4.0 which allows anyone to copy, distribute, and transmit the article provided it is properly attributed in the manner specified below. No commercial use without permission.

Attribution: Copyright © 2026 Andreas Kuhn. Published by Nucleic Acid Insights under Creative Commons License Deed CC BY NC ND 4.0.

Article source: This article was developed by BioInsights’ Editorial team using insights shared during an interview with the named author. It is a reflection of the discussion held that has been edited for clarity and flow. The named author reviewed and approved the final version prior to publication.

Interview held: Feb 6, 2026.

Revised manuscript received: Mar 4, 2026.

Publication date: Mar 13, 2026.

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