mRNA became a fashionable eponym in 2020 when it was necessary to develop a vaccine for COVID 19 to mitigate the world wide pandemic.
It is a novel way to manufacture a vaccine by only using the "protein spike" of the viral particle.
Prior to the pandemic vaccines were manufactured using different platforms
Vaccine Platforms:
Different types of vaccines were developed using various platforms, including:
mRNA Vaccines (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna): These vaccines use a small piece of the virus's genetic material (mRNA) that encodes the spike protein. This mRNA is encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles. When injected, cells in the body use the mRNA to produce the spike protein, triggering an immune response.
Viral Vector Vaccines (e.g., Oxford-AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson): These vaccines use a harmless virus (not the coronavirus causing COVID-19) as a vector. The viral vector is modified to carry the genetic code for the spike protein. Once injected, the vector virus delivers this genetic information to cells, leading to spike protein production and immune response.
Protein Subunit Vaccines (e.g., Novavax): These vaccines contain purified pieces of the virus, such as the spike protein. They don't contain the live virus and can't cause the disease. The immune system recognizes these proteins as foreign and mounts an immune response.
1. **Expanded Vaccine Development:** Researchers were exploring the use of mRNA technology to create vaccines for other infectious diseases beyond COVID-19. This could include diseases like influenza, Zika virus, and more.
2. **Cancer Immunotherapy:** mRNA technology held promise in the field of cancer treatment. Personalized cancer vaccines based on a patient's tumor-specific antigens were being researched, with the potential to stimulate the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells.
3. **Rare Diseases and Genetic Disorders:** mRNA technology might be used to treat rare genetic disorders by delivering functional mRNA to correct genetic mutations.
4. **Therapeutic Proteins:** mRNA could be utilized to produce therapeutic proteins within the body, offering potential treatments for various conditions such as metabolic disorders.
5. **Infectious Disease Research:** Beyond vaccines, mRNA technology might enable the development of treatments for infectious diseases by producing proteins that interfere with the pathogen's life cycle.
6. **Drug Delivery:** mRNA delivery systems could potentially be used to deliver other types of therapeutic molecules, not just protein-coding information, opening up avenues for novel drug delivery methods.
7. **Research and Development:** Ongoing research aimed to improve the stability, delivery efficiency, and safety of mRNA-based therapies.
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