![]() ![]() That may be in part because it’s difficult to generate interest and funding to support pursuing “non-mainstream” science outside of a crisis, Duprex said - what he characterized as “a shortsighted way to think about biology.” Vaccines that use synthetic mRNA add one more type of mRNA to the legion of other molecules “doing their daily business” within our bodies, and use it “to make a protein which the immune system will see and make antibodies against and protect us from a disease,” Duprex added.Īround 20 years ago, the work of two researchers - Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó - helped overcome two primary barriers that had been standing in the way of utilizing mRNA technology: an inflammatory effect on the body that made test animals ill, and the fragile nature of the molecule itself, both of which hindered its utility.ĭespite those advancements, and the wealth of research that’s been carried out since, the fact remains that the two mRNA vaccines in use today are the first of their kind. READ MORE: The essential COVID-19 vaccine FAQ ![]() “Pretty much every single cell in my body at this particular moment is producing billions and billions and billions of messenger RNAs,” Duprex said. Every day, mRNA molecules constantly carry genetic information coded in that DNA from the nucleus to the parts of the cells, called ribosomes, that can interpret those messages and then make the proteins that carry out essential biological processes. Our DNA resides inside the nucleus of our cells. These vaccines teach the body to remember one of the coronavirus’ defining features - its spike protein - and prompt the creation of antibodies that can prevent it from infecting cells. Rather than tinkering with the virus or its parts, this platform harnesses the “beauty of our biology” to deliver protection, said RNA virologist Paul Duprex, who directs the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research. For others, including the HPV and shingles vaccines, it’s a piece of that pathogen, like the specific protein it uses to infect cells in the first place.īut mRNA vaccines take a different approach. Matt Hepburn said, "the fridge-for-a-month distribution point we made really enables for a much more distributed model to get the vaccine out there, potentially for example in very rural areas.There are lots of different ways to make a vaccine, but the ultimate goal of any shot is to introduce the body to the biological equivalent of a “most wanted” poster so that if the real enemy ever shows up, our immune systems know how to fight it off.įor some vaccines, that poster is a version of a pathogen that’s been weakened - like the chickenpox shot - or inactivated - like most flu shots - so that it can’t actually cause infection. Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Development Lead Dr. That could include more rural parts of America. “This is good news for places that may not have access to that ultra-cold storage,” said Kelley. Colleen Kelley, associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and principal investigator for the Moderna study at the Ponce de Leon Center. “Some of those cold chain storage issues that the Pfizer vaccine brought up … could be alleviated with vaccine,” said Dr. Once thawed, the Moderna vaccine can be kept in a normal refrigerator for a month, while Pfizer’s can only be kept in a typical fridge for five days. Pfizer’s vaccine, meanwhile, must be kept in a specialized ultra-cold freezer at -94 degrees Fahrenheit. Moderna’s vaccine can be kept in normal freezer temperatures, like the freezer you have at home. ![]()
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