Revolutionizing Vaccine Development and Therapy: Messenger RNA Technology
The Future of Vaccine Development
According to experts, messenger RNA (mRNA) technology used in the COVID-19 vaccine could potentially change the way we develop vaccines for other infectious diseases and chronic conditions. Rolando Pajón, Ph.D., the medical and scientific director of Modern for Latin America, predicts that “before 2030, vaccines based on messenger RNA are going to be the leaders, the dominant platforms, the dominant vaccines.” Other external researchers support this prediction, citing the exponential growth of mRNA technology applications in the short or medium-term.
Predictions for the Future
Lourdes Ruiz Desviat, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Autonomous University of Madrid, also believes that mRNA vaccines will likely become the predominant type of vaccine. In fact, an analysis by Global Market Estimates projects a compound annual growth rate of 13.03% between 2023 and 2028 for the global market for mRNA vaccines. Consulting firms, such as Grand View Research, predict that half of the mRNA technology market in the United States in 2030 will be represented by preventive vaccines, while the other half will be shared by vaccines and drugs for therapeutic purposes.
The Advantages of mRNA Technology
Traditional platforms for vaccine development are time-consuming, expensive, and often require adjuvants with less effective results. However, mRNA technology enables faster, cheaper, simpler, more elegant, and more efficient vaccine production by circumventing these barriers. The production process of mRNA technology involves using genetic instructions to manufacture specific proteins within the cytosol of cells. This process is faster and more precise than traditional methods, since it eliminates the need for whole cells or fragments of pathogens.
Advancements in Therapy and Treatment
Dr. Gonzalo Pérez Marc, a pediatrician and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires, regards mRNA technology as a game-changer in vaccine and therapy developments. He believes that the advantages of mRNA technology will also extend to monoclonal antibody and cancer drug development. One of the major advantages of mRNA technology is that it generates exactly the antigen required without the risks presented by traditional methods.
The Future of mRNA Technology
mRNA technology is a new and emerging field with limitless potential. Experts, such as Katalin Karikó, Ph.D., senior vice president of BioNTech, suggest that mRNA technology could change the future of medicine. While mRNA technology holds great promise, experts continue to work towards perfecting its application and reducing any possible side effects that patients may experience.
The Promises and Challenges of Messenger RNA Technology for Vaccines
The Speed and Versatility of Messenger RNA Technology
Experts agree that messenger RNA (mRNA) technology for vaccines has been groundbreaking in the fight against COVID-19, shortening lead times and accelerating the approval and launch of products. Unlike some traditional vaccines, mRNA vaccines use the genetic material of the virus to instruct the body’s cells to produce a protein that triggers an immune response. According to Dr. Juan Pablo Pajón, Senior Director of Global Public Health and Medical Affairs at Moderna, mRNA technology has several advantages. It allows for a fast and easy retrofit process, making it a promising technology in generating rapid responses to future pandemics of viruses that pass from animals to humans.
The Experienced Hands at Moderna
Before settling in the United States in 2007, Pajón worked for more than seven years in a meningitis vaccine program at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana, Cuba, the institution that would later develop the vaccines Abdala and Soberana against COVID-19. But when he joined Moderna in 2018, he did so convinced that mRNA vaccines were the future. Moderna estimates that each member of the company saved close to 30,000 lives due to the vaccine against COVID-19, but the number will undoubtedly grow. The pharmaceutical company has projects in different phases of development of vaccines against various illnesses.
The Enemy is Time
The main challenge in the development of vaccines is time. Pajón notes that companies like Moderna that work with a standard platform for mRNA vaccines eliminate risks associated with other vaccines such as whether they will work or not and whether they will be safe. Once the vaccine’s safety is proven, billions of dollars are not needed to make factories, unlike other vaccines. Moderna’s vision of a single platform allows them to make an impact and improve lives faster than anyone else.
Messenger RNA Technology Versus Other Platforms
While mRNA technology is a versatile platform that shortens lead times and lowers production costs, it is still too early to determine whether it will be the predominant platform for vaccines. There are many other older platforms that are well-tested and work very well, says Fernando Lobos, Director of Business Development at Synergium Biotech. He suggests that various platforms will coexist, and mRNA vaccines may gain more space over time, but in a few years, they may not replace other platforms.
The Future of mRNA Vaccines
Market issues guide the selection of diseases to which companies allocate a greater investment to try to prevent or treat. Although vaccines based on mRNA technology may not replace other platforms, it is undeniable that they have been instrumental in responding swiftly to COVID-19. We choose to go to the moon, a book written by Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s executive director and doctor of veterinary medicine, highlights how mRNA technology was “perfect for something like this.” Experts agree that scientific innovations like mRNA vaccines save lives, but access to vaccines remains a significant problem worldwide.
The Promise and Challenges of mRNA Technology for Vaccines and Therapies
A More Stable Vaccine for COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of developing vaccines and therapies quickly and efficiently. One promising technology is messenger RNA, or mRNA, which allows scientists to produce proteins that can be targeted to specific cells in the body. However, mRNA vaccines and therapies come with their own set of challenges.
One major issue is that mRNA molecules are extremely sensitive to temperature and require ultracold temperatures for conservation. However, Moderna’s Dr. Juan Andres Pajon has announced that the company’s second generation of COVID-19 vaccines, including mRNA-1283, can be stored in standard refrigerators. This development will make the vaccine more widely available to the general population.
A New Technology with Unknown Risks
While mRNA technology has shown great promise in producing effective vaccines quickly, there is still much that we don’t know about how it works. As Dr. Pérez Marc admits, “It’s still a technology that we know very recently [began] working in effective vaccines.”
There is a risk that certain microorganisms may have greater escape capacity than anticipated, or that specific biological pathways could interfere with the distribution and translation of mRNA. Additionally, it can be difficult to get mRNA through different tissues and layers of cells in the body, making it challenging to target specific cells in the brain and other organs.
The Limitations of mRNA Technology for Neurological Conditions
One of the most challenging aspects of mRNA technology is delivering mRNA molecules to specific cells in the body, particularly those in the brain and other organs. As Dr. Karikó explains, “It’s very difficult for [mRNA] to get through different tissues, different layers of cells.” This makes it difficult to target neurons that are threatened by neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
While mRNA technology may not provide a solution for neurological conditions at this time, researchers and doctors remain optimistic. “I’m not saying it can’t [treat neurological diseases], but much research is needed,” says Dr. Karikó.
Financial Disclosures
The experts cited in this article have disclosed their relevant financial conflicts of interest. Dr. Pajon works at Moderna, Eng. Lobos at Sinergiun Biotech, and Dr. Pérez Marc has conducted clinical research financed by companies that produce mRNA vaccines like Moderna and Pfizer. Ruiz Desviat declared that he had no relevant financial conflicts of interest.
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