The New Coronavirus Vaccine Is Changing The Future Of Medicine – Forbes
By daniellenierenberg
The mRNA technology used to create the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for COVID is being applied to ... [+] many other medical treatments in addition to vaccines.
While the vaccines for Covid-19 seem to have been created in record time, the technology making them possible has been decades in development. The two vaccine candidates produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are unlike any other vaccine thats come before. Should they achieve commercial success, it could usher in a new era of medical science not just for vaccines, but for cancer treatments, blood disorders, and gene therapy.
The two new vaccines are the first ever to use mRNA, which stands for messenger RNA, to generate immunity. Historically, vaccines have used dead or weakened viruses to imitate an infection, spurring the body to make antibodies against that virus without danger of getting sick. Measles, polio, and some seasonal flu shots are examples of vaccines made with whole virus particles.
Other vaccines use only certain fragments of the virus, called antigens, that provoke an immune response. To make this type of vaccine, the genetic code for the desired viral antigen molecule is put into yeast or bacteria cells. These microbes can be grown rapidly and inexpensively, and they can churn out massive quantities of antigen. Then the molecule must be purified to clinical standards so that its safe to inject into healthy people. Prevnar and Gardasil are examples of this type of vaccine.
These methods work well, but they require enormous research and development efforts. A laboratory could spend years optimizing the methods for producing one virus protein, but those methods wouldnt automatically translate to mass-producing a different protein.
For every new protein, you start over. Its a brand-new procedure every step of the way, explains immunologist Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Weissman is one of the pioneering scientists behind the mRNA vaccine.
The way I see it, the mRNA platform is much better, its much quicker, and its cheaper, says Weissman. Thats the trilogy of what you need to improve vaccines. With mRNA, the steps are the same, no matter what virus the vaccine is targeting. This makes it easily customizable. Once an mRNA manufacturing facility is up and running, it can easily be deployed to make vaccines against any number of viral antigens.
A strand of mRNA carries the instructions for making one protein. Your cells normally make their own mRNA strands and use them as blueprints to manufacture all the proteins your body needs to function.
The vaccine slips a new strand of mRNA into the cell, like an extra page in the blueprint. This mRNA contains the instructions for making the coronavirus spike protein, and the cell reads it the same way it reads its own mRNAs, using it to build the viral protein. The immune system recognizes that protein as foreign, and starts making antibodies against it. Then, if youre exposed to the actual virus, those antibodies will be available to stop the infection. Astonishingly, in animal tests, mRNA vaccines appear to induce immunity that lasts much longer than live virus vaccines.
The beauty of mRNA is that its temporary. Your cells wont keep cranking out spike protein forever. Like an Instagram story, the mRNA fades away after a certain amount of time, because you dont need to keep making coronavirus protein forever in order to maintain the protective immunity.
Another big advantage of mRNA is that its rapidly customizable. Once scientists know the genetic sequence of a viral protein, they can make the mRNA in the lab and package it into a vaccine in a matter of weeks.
Originally envisioned as a way to deliver gene therapy, mRNA had to overcome some serious challenges before arriving at todays big moment. In 2005, Weissman and his colleague, Katalin Karik, solved one of the most difficult problems facing mRNA. In its natural form, the molecule sparks an excessive immune reaction, igniting inflammation that damages the body. To avoid this, they changed the structure of the mRNA just enough to fool the immune sentries.
Similar to DNA, RNA is made up of a series of chemical letters, a kind of code that the cell translates to make a protein. Modifying the chemical structure of one of those letters allowed the information to remain intact, and eliminated the signal that triggered the bodys immune alarms.
Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Weissmans lab was working on vaccines for influenza, herpes, and HIV. Those will all be going into phase I clinical trials within the next year, he says. But vaccines are only the beginning of what mRNA can do.
Often in the case of genetic diseases, the problem is that a broken gene fails to produce a protein that the body needs for healthy function. The idea of gene therapy is simple: send in a healthy copy of the broken gene, which the cells can use to make the protein. Most times, researchers use viruses to deliver the gene, but viruses can cause problems of their own. Delivering mRNA to the cell without a virus circumvents some of these issues.
To ferry the mRNA into cells, it is encapsulated in a fatty coating called a lipid nanoparticle (LNP). Weissmans lab has been experimenting with ways to modify the LNP so that it can home in on certain cell types.
In sickle cell disease (SCD), a broken hemoglobin gene prevents blood cells from carrying oxygen ... [+] efficiently, and causes them to take on a rigid, sickle-shaped form.
My lab has figured out how to specifically deliver the LNP to bone marrow stem cells, Weissman says. This could lead to an inexpensive and practical cure for sickle cell anemia. An mRNA molecule can be programmed to encode the beta-hemoglobin gene, which is defective in sickle cell disease. That mRNA would be sent directly to the bone marrow cells using the specially targeted LNPs, enabling the bone marrow to produce healthy red blood cells that contain functioning beta-hemoglobin.
All that would need to be done is to give people a single intravenous injection of the mRNA LNP, and youll cure their sickle cell anemia, Weissman says. By contrast, the current FDA-approved gene-editing therapy for sickle cell requires the patients bone marrow be removed, treated, and then returned to the bodyan expensive and invasive procedure. The mRNA treatment could be simple enough to deliver in lower-income countries, where sickle cell disease impacts the health of millions of people.
An up-and-coming strategy for fighting cancer is a so-called cancer vaccine, which uses immune cells called dendritic cells (DCs). DCs perform surveillance for the immune system. When they detect something that shouldnt be there, whether its a virus, a bacteria, or even a cancer cell, the DCs chew it up, break it into its component molecules, and then show those foreign molecules to the immune cells that make antibodies.
Dendritic cells chew up viruses or other foreign bodies, and present the pieces to other immune ... [+] cells. T cells and B cells both play a role in mounting a long-lasting immunity against the pathogen.
When cancer grows slowly, though, it can slip past the DC surveillance network. To give the immune system a boost, a patients DCs are taken out and artificially loaded with tumor-specific proteins, or antigens. Back inside the body, the cells stimulate the generation of antibodies against the tumor.
Using mRNA to deliver the tumor antigen information to the DCs could provide a way to make this process easier, cheaper, and safer. BioNTech is currently conducting clinical trials on cancer vaccines for triple-negative breast cancer, metastatic melanoma, and HPV-positive head and neck cancers. Called FixVac, the vaccines include multiple tumor antigens that are frequently found across different patients. Early data published in September 2020 showed promise, suggesting that the mRNA therapy generates a lasting immune response, comparable to more expensive methods.
Karik, who is now a senior vice president at BioNTech, and Weissman both speak with an air of inevitability, as if they have only been waiting patiently for the world to catch up with their discovery. The two scientists told their stories recently at the 2nd annual mRNA Day celebration in San Diego, hosted by Trilink BioTechnologies in honor of their recently opened facility there. After hearing the tumultuous history of the technology and seeing promising new data, one attendee asked, what would you say was the turning point for mRNA therapeutics?
Karik responded simply, When people read our [2005] paper. We were waiting for somebody to respond, we did a lot of experiments, but we waited and waited. It was just too early for most people.
Weissman agreed. I think we were early, he said. It finally caught on, and it will hopefully change the world.
Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus
More:
The New Coronavirus Vaccine Is Changing The Future Of Medicine - Forbes
- Rejuvenating the immune system by depleting certain stem cells - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - April 19th, 2024
- New gene therapy eliminates need for bone marrow transplant. Here's how it works. - CBS News - April 19th, 2024
- New gene therapy eliminates need for bone marrow transplant. Here's how it works. - MSN - April 19th, 2024
- Long Island boy with rare blood disorder undergoes gene therapy - MSN - April 19th, 2024
- Philadelphia Wings player, Connecticut man will be forever bonded by bone marrow donation: "He's my hero" - CBS Philly - April 10th, 2024
- VRD versus VCD as induction therapy before autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma: a nationwide ... - Nature.com - April 10th, 2024
- Register as a bone marrow donor today and save lives - The Citizen - April 10th, 2024
- Resilient anatomy and local plasticity of naive and stress haematopoiesis - Nature.com - March 26th, 2024
- A Deeper Depth of Response After Salvage Therapy Improves Outcomes of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in ... - Cureus - March 26th, 2024
- Iron restriction keeps blood stem cells young, researchers find - Phys.org - March 18th, 2024
- Blood drive, bone marrow testing to be held in local woman's memory - The Winchester Star - March 18th, 2024
- Signal of Benefit for Stem Cell Therapy in Progressive MS - Medscape - March 10th, 2024
- Woman, 22, With Leukemia Recalls Symptoms And New Treatment She Received: EXCLUSIVE - TODAY - March 10th, 2024
- This Swedish startup wants to reduce the cost, and controversy, around stem cell production - TechCrunch - March 10th, 2024
- Outcomes and prognosis of haploidentical haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children with FLT3-ITD mutated ... - Nature.com - March 10th, 2024
- Harmonizing definitions for hematopoietic recovery, graft rejection, graft failure, poor graft function, and donor ... - Nature.com - March 10th, 2024
- Hematopoietic cell transplantation and cell therapy activity landscape survey in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; a report ... - Nature.com - March 10th, 2024
- How an MS friendship led to HSCT and a love of running - Multiple Sclerosis News Today - March 10th, 2024
- Iron Limitation Preserves Youthfulness of Blood Stem Cells - Mirage News - March 10th, 2024
- Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis: A retrospective analysis of the ... - Nature.com - March 10th, 2024
- AJMC in the Press, February 23, 2024 - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network - February 24th, 2024
- Orca Bio Presents Promising Data on Orca-T in Two Oral Presentations at the 2024 Tandem Meetings of ASTCT and ... - Yahoo Finance - February 24th, 2024
- New approaches to live-track the production of different types of blood cells in mice - Medical Xpress - February 24th, 2024
- If Other Treatments Aren't Working -- Stem Cell Transplant May Be A Good Option In CLL - SurvivorNet - February 24th, 2024
- Expanding the Horizons of Cell and Gene Therapy - RegMedNet - February 24th, 2024
- The strangers who saved each others lives - BBC - February 24th, 2024
- City of Hope Research Featuring the Successful Treatment of the Oldest Patient to Achieve Remission for Leukemia ... - StreetInsider.com - February 15th, 2024
- 3D printing and material processing combined to create artificial bone - Optics.org - February 15th, 2024
- Man, 63, is in remission from HIV five years after receiving groundbreaking stem cell transplant... - The Sun - February 15th, 2024
- Team demonstrates fabrication method to construct 3D structures that mimic bone microstructure - Phys.org - February 15th, 2024
- Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Their Role in Development and Disease Therapy - The Scientist - February 15th, 2024
- Blood cell family trees trace how production changes with aging - MIT News - February 7th, 2024
- New study on promising stem cell-based therapy for Crohn's disease - Medical Xpress - January 30th, 2024
- Second haploidentical bone marrow transplantation with antithymocyte antibody-containing conditioning regimen for ... - Nature.com - January 30th, 2024
- Stem cell study shows how gene activity modulates the amount of immune cell production in mice - Medical Xpress - January 30th, 2024
- Global Stem Cell Therapy Industry Outlook to 2028, Driven by Therapeutic Innovations and Clinical Advancements ... - Yahoo Finance - January 30th, 2024
- 1st-of-its-kind therapy blocks immune attack after stem-cell transplant - Livescience.com - January 22nd, 2024
- Individualized dose of anti-thymocyte globulin based on weight and pre-transplantation lymphocyte counts in pediatric ... - Nature.com - January 22nd, 2024
- Implications of stress-induced gene expression for hematopoietic stem cell aging studies - Nature.com - January 22nd, 2024
- LVHN announces opening of new stem cell transplant center. Here's what that means for the Lehigh Valley - The Morning Call - January 22nd, 2024
- Fast Five Quiz: Chronic GVHD Risk Factors and Prevention - Medscape Reference - January 22nd, 2024
- Could Treatments for HIV and Sickle Cell Open the Gene Therapy Floodgates? - BioSpace - January 22nd, 2024
- Effects of fine particulate matter on bone marrow-conserved hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells: a systematic ... - Nature.com - January 14th, 2024
- Donating Bone Marrow and Stem Cells: The Process and What To Expect - On Cancer - Memorial Sloan Kettering - January 14th, 2024
- No, Rep. Steve Scalise Didn't Vote Against Stem Cell Research From Which He Is Now Benefiting - Yahoo News - January 14th, 2024
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Market to Grow Rapidly During the Study Period (2019-2032), Evaluates ... - PR Newswire - January 14th, 2024
- Life-saving donation from Philly athlete saves life: 'Feeling so strong, I owe that all to him' - AOL - January 14th, 2024
- The Key to Creating Blood Stem Cells May Lie in Your Own Blood - ScienceAlert - January 14th, 2024
- Dr Phillips on the Rationale for the GLOBRYTE Trial in Relapsed/Refractory MCL - OncLive - January 14th, 2024
- COVID-19 and HSCT Recipients: Risk Factors and Prevention Measures - Medriva - January 14th, 2024
- Bone Marrow Transplant: Heres What You Need To Know About This Therapy - Times Now - January 5th, 2024
- New insights about the development of hematopoietic stem cells - Drug Target Review - December 28th, 2023
- Bone Marrow Transplantation | Johns Hopkins Medicine - December 20th, 2023
- Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplant | American Cancer Society - December 20th, 2023
- Embryonic-stem-cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells relieve experimental contact urticaria by regulating the functions ... - Nature.com - December 20th, 2023
- Researchers discover crucial step in creating blood stem cells - Phys.org - December 20th, 2023
- A niche topic: understanding the development of hematopoietic stem cells - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - December 20th, 2023
- Vertex developed a CRISPR cure. Its already on the hunt for something better. - MIT Technology Review - December 20th, 2023
- FDA approves cure for sickle cell disease, the first treatment to use gene-editing tool CRISPR - NBC News - December 12th, 2023
- First therapy using CRISPR technology will treat sickle cell disease - Morning Brew - December 12th, 2023
- 7 medical breakthroughs that gave us hope in 2023 - National Geographic - December 12th, 2023
- Understanding Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment - Everyday Health - December 12th, 2023
- Mansour bin Zayed witnesses inauguration of ADSCC Bone Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy Congress 2023 - ZAWYA - November 26th, 2023
- ADSCC Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Congress 2023 to take place in Abu Dhabi - ZAWYA - November 18th, 2023
- Orchard Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Announces Initiation of Rolling Submission for Biologics License Application of... - May 16th, 2023
- Family of 7-month-old in need of bone marrow transplant hosting donor registration event - CBS Pittsburgh - May 8th, 2023
- Anika Continues to Expand Addressable Market for Tactoset Injectable Bone Substitute with Additional 510(k) Clearance from FDA - Marketscreener.com - April 5th, 2023
- MorphoSys Completes Enrollment of Phase 3 MANIFEST-2 Study of Pelabresib in Myelofibrosis with Topline Results Expected by End of 2023 -... - April 5th, 2023
- VOR BIOPHARMA INC. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (form 10-K) - Marketscreener.com - March 25th, 2023
- BioRestorative Therapies to Seek FDA Approval to Expand the Clinical Application of BRTX-100 - Marketscreener.com - March 17th, 2023
- BioSenic delivers a new post-hoc analysis of its Phase III JTA-004 trial on knee osteo-arthritis with positive action on the most severely affected... - March 17th, 2023
- JASPER THERAPEUTICS, INC. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (form 10-K) - Marketscreener.com - March 9th, 2023
- For a range of unmet medical needs, India offers a fantastic opportunity to push cell and gene therapies: B .. - ETHealthWorld - March 9th, 2023
- NGM BIOPHARMACEUTICALS INC Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. (form 10-K) - Marketscreener.com - March 1st, 2023
- Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy - Mayo Clinic - January 27th, 2023
- Bone marrow drive held for military wife with cancer - January 27th, 2023
- Bone cancer - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic - January 27th, 2023
- Bone | Definition, Anatomy, & Composition | Britannica - January 19th, 2023
- Bone Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster - January 19th, 2023
- What Is Bone? | NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National ... - January 19th, 2023