In recent years, mRNA technology has gained significant attention, particularly in the realm of vaccine development. But what exactly is mRNA, and why does it hold such potential in modern medicine? Today, we will delve into the basics of mRNA, how it functions within our bodies, and its role in the development of vaccines.
First, what is mRNA?
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, exists in all cells in our bodies and has for millions of years. Just as its name suggests, it acts as a messenger to the cell's machinery that makes proteins, giving instructions for what proteins to make and how to make them. This process of protein synthesis is one that naturally happens in our bodies, enabling us to grow, heal, and defend against diseases.¹
The proteins mRNA gives instructions for are essential components of all living organisms. Proteins are often described as the "workhorses" of the body – almost all interactions and reactions that occur in our bodies involve proteins.² When it comes to our health, one type of protein, known as an antibody, is particularly important for the immune system, helping to identify and neutralize foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria.³
Traditional Vaccines vs. mRNA Vaccines
All vaccines work by showing an antigen to our bodies. Antigens are usually proteins found on the outside of viruses, and serve as markers that tell our bodies whether something is harmful or not. Each antigen has a unique shape that our immune systems reads like a name tag to determine if it is an intruder.⁴ Traditional vaccines give us a small, weakened or inactive fragment of an antigen from a virus. It introduces just enough so that our bodies can recognize it and learn to build the specific antibody to fight it. Then, if infected by the real virus in the future, our bodies already know to engage our natural defenses to protect against the virus.⁵
mRNA vaccines also engage our immune systems, but they take a novel approach. Instead of using parts of the weakened or inactive virus, these vaccines use mRNA to give our cells the instructions for how to make the antigen. Once our cells produce the antigen, our immune system recognizes it, knows that it doesn’t belong in our bodies, and then creates antibodies that will recognize and target that specific antigen. If we are exposed to the virus in the future, these antibodies are ready to protect against infection.⁶
While mRNA serves as a messenger between DNA and the cell’s machinery responsible for making proteins, mRNA vaccines have no capacity to change or influence our genomic DNA. The RNA delivered by mRNA vaccines never enters the nucleus of our cells, which is where our DNA is.⁷ After the body produces an immune response, it gets rid of all vaccine ingredients through natural decay or elimination processes.
mRNA Vaccines and Safety
Although the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are relatively new, the technology behind these vaccines is not. For more than 30 years, researchers and scientists have been studying these types of vaccines to potentially fight other diseases. Like all medicines and medical products, mRNA medicines and vaccines are being rigorously tested in clinical trials for safety and efficacy. Millions of people have received them.⁸
The Future Potential of mRNA
Currently, mRNA vaccines and medicines are being studied in many different disease states.⁹ Expanding the frontiers of mRNA medicine has the potential to profoundly impact human health one day.
US-MRNA-2400017
¹https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/messenger-rna ²https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9400073/ ³https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22971-antibodies ⁴https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24067-antigen
⁵https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/how-do-vaccines-work#:~:text=Vaccines%20contain%20weakened%20or%20inactive,rather%20than%20the%20antigen%20itself
⁶https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21898-mrna-vaccines ⁷https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html ⁸https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21898-mrna-vaccines
⁹Ibid.