The Role of mRNA Vaccines and Their Development

A picture of the mechanism of mRNA vaccines getting made to fight diseases. (An article from Drexel News)

  How actually useful are mRNA vaccines? mRNA vaccines are extremely useful and these types of vaccines are continuously growing and turning out to be great protection for human kind against viruses and other diseases. A specific example is the one used in the battle against Covid 19, which reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 85%-97%. 

mRNA stands for Messenger Ribonucleic Acid  and their vaccines  are the most popular and commonly used in modern medicine. mRNA vaccines, at least for humans, never enter the cell’s nucleus so it would never alter an individual's DNA. Every year, many people get these vaccinations, especially children. This allows for prevention against common diseases that appear throughout peoples lives.

How mRNA Vaccines Work

To start off, mRNA vaccines work by teaching the cells in the body to make a spike protein, which is a piece of a virus. This triggers individuals' immune systems, allowing for the production of natural anti-bodies in the body to form. To start this process the vaccine has to first deliver synthetic mRNA wrapped in a coating or a protective layer into muscle cells by injections. Then, cells automatically use their assembly machines, ribosomes, to translate the mRNA to proteins. These viral proteins then go to the cell's surface and when the immune system recognizes a complementary but foreign protein to the one created by the vaccine, the cell builds specialized antibodies and activates the T-cells to destroy the foreign proteins. Lastly, after the battle is over the mRNA blueprint is finally broken down by the cell and discarded.

How mRNA Vaccines are Made

mRNA vaccines are made by scientists first mapping the genetic code for their target protein, which is then cut and inserted into a small plasmid, a circular piece of DNA, which can act as a master template or blueprint. After, the DNA plasmid is mixed with enzymes like RNA polymerase in a bioreactor machine where enzymes translate the DNA into RNA or mRNA strands. Afterwards, since the newly created mRNA is extremely fragile and prone to damage, it is separated from the leftover DNA templates, enzymes, and other impurities. For further protection, it is mixed with lipids or fats which can then assemble into microscopic bubbles called “Lipid Nanoparticles”, ensuring the safe transmission of the mRNA. Lastly, the fat-wrapped mRNA combines with stabilizers and salts to maintain correct pH level and structure and then filled into vials.

To conclude, mRNA vaccines are crucial for protection against infectious viruses and are the first thing that doctors use as a prevention matter. They are one of the most essential ways to defeat a virus, providing easy defense and relief to  patients. Overall, mRNA vaccines are a vital part of human lives and continue to benefit society.

References

Beyrer, C. (2021, October 6). The long history of mRNA vaccines. Publichealth.jhu.edu; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-long-history-of-mrna-vaccines 

Knezevic, I., Liu, M. A., Peden, K., Zhou, T., & Kang, H.-N. (2021). Development of mRNA Vaccines: Scientific and Regulatory Issues. Vaccines, 9(2), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9020081 

National Human Genome Research Institute. (2021, August 31). COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Production. National Human Genome Research Institute. https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/COVID-19-mRNA-Vaccine-Production 

Richter, G. (2023, March 31). Why do mRNA Vaccines Cause Strongest Immune Response in Younger Individuals. Drexel.edu. https://drexel.edu/news/archive/2023/March/Why-do-mRNA-Vaccines-Cause-Strongest-Immune-Response-in-Younger-Individuals 

Rosa, S. S., Prazeres, D. M. F., Azevedo, A. M., & Marques, M. P. C. (2021). MRNA Vaccines manufacturing: Challenges and Bottlenecks. Vaccine, 39(16). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7987532/