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Why mRNA vaccines like those being made to treat coronavirus are a quantum leap for biotech

If the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines successfully put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, as they seem poised to do, we will owe our salvation to the development of mRNA vaccines — an unprecedented, novel vaccine technology that may revolutionize how vaccines are made.

Indeed, an mRNA vaccine has never been mass-produced and licensed to treat an infectious disease. The mRNA vaccines to treat the novel coronavirus would be the first.

Yet understanding the quantum leap that mRNA vaccines represent requires understanding where we are right now. The biotechnology giants Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech announced last month that they had seen promising results as they near the end of…

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 Everything You Need to Know About mRNA, the COVID-19 Vaccine's Secret Weapon

Pfizer and Moderna both use this tech in their breakthrough vaccines. But how does it work? And is there a catch?

 Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus

Collaborating with devoted colleagues, Dr. Kariko laid the groundwork for the mRNA vaccines turning the tide of the pandemic.

 mRNA Was Supposed To Stay Ahead Of Variants. Why Aren't We Using Its Full Potential?

Part of the exciting promise of modified mRNA technology that built Moderna and Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccines was an assurance against variants that might one day evade the vaccines’ protection. If any troublesome mutations arose, researchers said, manufacturers would be able to reprogram the string of genetic code inside the vaccines to counter that.

 New cancer treatments may be on the horizon—thanks to mRNA vaccines

The COVID-19 pandemic brought mRNA vaccines into the limelight. But the technology may also prove to be a powerful weapon against hard-to-treat cancers.

 The mRNA Vaccines Are Extraordinary, but Novavax Is Even Better

Persistent hype around mRNA vaccine technology is now distracting us from other ways to end the pandemic. But here’s what we know today, based on information that we have right now: Among several wonderful options, the more old-school vaccine from Novavax combines ease of manufacture with high efficacy and lower side effects. For the moment, it’s the best COVID-19 vaccine we have.

Articles of Interest

Everything You Need to Know About mRNA, the COVID-19 Vaccine’s Secret Weapon

Pfizer and Moderna both use this tech in their breakthrough vaccines. But how does it work? And is there a catch?

What is mRNA? The messenger molecule that’s been in every living cell for billions of years is the key ingredient in some COVID-19 vaccines

Sections of the DNA code are transcribed into shortened messages that are instructions for making proteins. These messages – the mRNA – are transported out to the main part of the cell. Once the mRNA arrives, the cell can produce particular proteins from these instructions.

Beyond COVID: mRNA Vaccines May Treat Cancer and More

This plug-and-play technology is revolutionizing vaccinology.

Don’t shoot the messenger—the pioneers of mRNA

MESSENGER RNA, or mRNA, is the molecule that forms the basis of the coronavirus vaccines made by Moderna and by Pfizer-BioNTech. Although the vaccines went from lab to jab in just a few months, the idea of using mRNA as a therapy has been around for decades. The pioneers of this powerful technology reveal its unexpected path, the obstacles that had to be overcome along the way and its future potential.

Halting Progress and Happy Accidents: How mRNA Vaccines Were Made

The stunning Covid vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna drew upon long-buried discoveries made in the hopes of ending past epidemics.

How does an mRNA vaccine work?

The technology is likely to be used for a variety of other diseases, so understanding them now is key.

Messenger RNA vaccine pioneer Katalin Karikó shares her long journey to Covid-19 vaccines

In the span of the Covid-19 pandemic, and thanks to the success of two of the currently available vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, messenger RNA, or mRNA, went from being an obscure cell biology concept understood and mentioned only by scientists to being a household term.

mRNA vaccines face their first test in the fight against Covid-19. How do they work?

Messenger RNA may not be as famous as its cousin, DNA, but it’s having a moment in the spotlight. This crucial intermediary in the protein-making process is now being harnessed by scientists to to try to protect us from disease — including Covid-19.

The story of mRNA: How a once-dismissed idea became a leading technology in the Covid vaccine race

It is called synthetic messenger RNA, an ingenious variation on the natural substance that directs protein production in cells throughout the body. Its prospects have swung billions of dollars on the stock market, made and imperiled scientific careers, and fueled hopes that it could be a breakthrough that allows society to return to normalcy after months living in fear.

The tangled history of mRNA vaccines

Hundreds of scientists had worked on mRNA vaccines for decades before the coronavirus pandemic brought a breakthrough..

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Why adenovirus and mRNA vaccines could start a revolution.

Why it takes 2 shots to make mRNA vaccines do their antibody-creating best – and what the data shows on delaying the booster dose

Two doses, separated by three to four weeks, is the tried-and-true approach to generate an effective immune response through vaccination, not just for COVID but for hepatitis A and B and other diseases as well. The first dose primes the immune system and introduces the body to the germ of interest. This allows the immune system to prepare its defense.

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4 things about mRNA COVID vaccines researchers still want to find out

Such mRNA vaccines have many benefits. They are quick to design, so once the manufacturing platform is set up, mRNA vaccines can be designed to target different viruses, or variants, very quickly. The vaccine manufacturing is also fully synthetic, and doesn’t rely on living cells like chicken eggs, or cultured cell lines. So this technology is here to stay. However, there are still issues we need to improve on to help make mRNA vaccines become more practical and affordable for the entire world, not just first-world countries. Here are four areas mRNA vaccine researchers are working on.