mRNAissance: To What Extent Could mRNA Technology Lead the Revolution in Vaccine Development?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.1267Keywords:
mRNA, VaccineAbstract
This paper explores the revolutionary significance of mRNA vaccine technology.
Beginning with the historical context of vaccine development, this paper considers the emergence of this innovative technology, exploring examples of mRNA vaccines in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The mechanism and advantages of mRNA vaccines including their adaptability, speed of production and high immunogenicity are discussed. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines also serve to highlight the importance of this technology in the pandemic, but also its limitations in the real-world setting such as reduced efficacy against new variants, storage challenges and concerns on immune exhaustion.
Next, the potential for mRNA technologies in challenging infectious diseases such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and MDR-TB (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis) is also evaluated. mRNA technology can also have wider impacts in the field of healthcare, with implications in cancer therapy by targeting tumor associated antigens (TAAs), particularly in melanoma, and treatment for genetic diseases such as hemophilia and cystic fibrosis by encoding the relevant missing proteins. mRNA therapy can also induce pluripotency in somatic cells which could have profound impacts in regenerative medicine.
Finally, other developing vaccine technologies such as DNA vaccines, DIOSynVax and Caltech’s EABR are explored within the context of mRNA vaccines, highlighting opportunities for combinations, and overcoming the limitations of mRNA technology. Ultimately, this research contributes to the understanding of mRNA vaccines and its profound implications in revolutionizing many aspects of global healthcare.
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