Vaccines are vital for preventing infectious diseases by training the body to defend itself against harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. Traditional vaccines often use weakened or inactive forms of these pathogens to stimulate an immune response. However, a revolutionary type of vaccine has emerged, utilizing messenger RNA (mRNA). But What Is Mrna, and how does it work in vaccines?
mRNA, or messenger RNA, is a molecule crucial for protein synthesis within our cells. Think of mRNA as a set of instructions that tells your cells how to make specific proteins. These proteins carry out essential functions in the body. Normally, cells create mRNA from our DNA, use these instructions to build proteins, and then quickly break down the mRNA after the protein is made. It’s a temporary and natural process within our bodies. Importantly, mRNA used in vaccines does not interact with or alter our DNA, as it operates outside the cell nucleus where our DNA resides.
mRNA vaccines leverage this natural process to trigger immunity. Instead of introducing a weakened virus, these vaccines deliver a specific piece of mRNA that instructs your cells to produce a viral protein. This protein is usually a harmless component of the virus, such as the spike protein found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Once you receive an mRNA vaccine, your cells read the mRNA instructions and temporarily produce this viral protein. Your immune system then recognizes this protein as foreign and mounts an immune response, just as it would with a traditional vaccine.
This immune response involves producing antibodies, specialized proteins that target and neutralize the viral protein. These antibodies remain in your body, providing immunological memory. If you are later exposed to the actual virus, your immune system, primed by the mRNA vaccine, can quickly recognize and neutralize it before it causes severe illness. This is the core principle of how mRNA vaccines offer protection.
mRNA vaccines have revolutionized vaccine development, particularly highlighted by their rapid deployment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, like all vaccines, mRNA vaccines undergo rigorous evaluation and require authorization or approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before public use. Currently, the most widely recognized mRNA vaccines are those against COVID-19, designed to target the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the potential of mRNA technology extends far beyond COVID-19, with ongoing research exploring its use for vaccines against influenza, Zika virus, and even cancer therapies. The speed of development, safety profile, and effectiveness make mRNA a promising platform for future vaccines and treatments.
Microscopic view of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles showcasing spike proteins. This image helps visualize the coronavirus and its spike proteins, crucial for understanding how mRNA vaccines work by targeting these proteins to trigger an immune response.
Further Reading:
- Jain S, Venkataraman A, Wechsler ME, Peppas NA. Messenger RNA-based vaccines: Past, present, and future directions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2021 Oct 9;179:114000. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114000. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34637846; PMCID: PMC8502079.
- Verbeke R, Lentacker I, De Smedt SC, Dewitte H. The dawn of mRNA vaccines: The COVID-19 case. J Control Release. 2021 May 10;333:511-520. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.03.043. Epub 2021 Mar 30. PMID: 33798667; PMCID: PMC8008785.
Image Credit: NIAID
