The use of mRNA vaccines to tackle Covid-19 marks the beginning of a new era of medicine

In the darkness of Covid-19 is the sparkle of medical innovation. In December 2020, two vaccines, a vaccine co-developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and a vaccine developed by Moderna, were first approved for Covid-19. These were not regular vaccines: they were “messenger RNA” or “mRNA” vaccines. It was first used in the human body and A new era of medicine.

All vaccines work by teaching the body to recognize and destroy infectious pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. Traditional vaccines usually train the immune system by delivering weakened or inactivated forms of these viruses or bacteria into the body. This encourages the immune system to produce antibodies that can tackle those bacteria. The messenger RNA vaccine skips the first step and instead gives the body instructions to make some of the protein (in this case known as the “peplomer”). This spike protein is the same as that found on the surface of the virus. The body recognizes that proteins do not belong, builds an immune response, and begins to make antibodies. If the actual virus later invades the body, it is ready to produce the correct antibodies.

The potential of mRNA-based medicines has long been recognized, but technical challenges have hampered their application. “At the biological level, mRNA technology had three major challenges: reactivity, stability, and delivery to cells,” said Aneesh Thakur, who develops mRNA vaccines at the University of Copenhagen. .. “We’ve addressed these three biggest issues, so it’s definitely a game change.”

BioNTech and Moderna had already completed mRNA-based technology before the pandemic occurred. This allowed the rapid development of new vaccines. After Chinese scientists sequenced the SARS-CoV-2 genome, it took only two days for Moderna to select the appropriate sequence of DNA for the virus targeted by the vaccine.

The events of 2020 are now considered approval of this technology and can be used to treat a variety of illnesses and disorders. According to German BioNTech co-founders Özlem Türeci and UğurŞahin, the successful development of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine has led to other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, as well as similar vaccines that cause any pandemic. The possibility of development has been opened. A virus that will appear in the future.

HIV is one example. Scientists have so far failed to produce vaccines against HIV because of their ability to rapidly mutate and evade the immune system. However, some biotechnology companies are using mRNA-based vaccines to change that. IAVI recently revealed The mRNA-based HIV vaccine was able to elicit a correct immune response in 97% of participants in early clinical trials. The same approach can be used to create vaccines against other viruses that are difficult to treat, such as dengue, Zika, hepatitis C, and malaria. Other companies are participating in this effort: ConserV Bioscience and eTheRNA Announcing collaboration on March 8th, The purpose of which is to provide an mRNA-based HIV vaccine.

This technology can also improve the vaccines we already have. Infectious diseases often outperform traditional vaccines by evolving new mutations. Influenza is one example. Manufacturers need to decide which strains to target several months before the annual season, limiting the effectiveness of the vaccine to about 50-70 percent. However, mRNA-based vaccines can be produced very quickly to target different viral subtypes. Since 2018, BioNTech and Pfizer have been working on “universal” mRNA-based influenza vaccines separately and hope to quickly avoid the need for seasonal influenza jabs.

The essence of the mRNA-based approach to medicine can also be applied to other non-infectious diseases. Mainstream drug development focuses on the construction of small molecules to manipulate the behavior of proteins (which form the major components, cell structures, and molecular machines of the body). However, geneticists estimate that only 10 to 14 percent of proteins are “drug-discoverable.” Instead, targeting mRNA means affecting which protein is first produced before it causes the disease or progresses the condition.

For this approach Great potential in cancer treatment.. Cancer cells have a unique protein constellation on their surface. By packaging these protein descriptions into mRNA-based vaccines, doctors hope to stimulate the patient’s immune system to recognize and fight cancer. BioNTech is already conducting RNA-based therapies for skin cancer in clinical trials that tailor an RNA vaccine that is specific to each patient. Moderna is building mRNA therapy that trains the immune system to recognize cancerous proteins created by mutations in a gene called KRAS that is involved in about 20% of cancers. CureVac is testing a similar mRNA-based vaccine to treat lung cancer.

RNA can also trigger the body to produce proteins that help fight the disease. Moderna and AstraZeneca are jointly developing an mRNA-based drug that produces proteins that stimulate the body and promote blood vessel regeneration. This is a treatment that helps rejuvenate the cardiovascular system after a heart attack.

Other biotechnology companies are trying to improve treatments for diseases such as phenylketonuria and glycogen storage disease, where patients are unable to produce the proteins they need due to a lack of the corresponding genes that cause liver and kidney enlargement. Uses this technology.

Expectations are high, but there is still a long way to go. “This isn’t the end. It’s like a first-generation iPhone. Technology continues to improve and refine,” says Takul. “Next-generation mRNA-based vaccines and therapies are much safer and more effective than we have already seen with Covid-19.”