Author: Sage (Yoonjae) Lee
Traditional vaccines inserting weakened versions of a virus may not be all to treating diseases; the messenger RNA, also known as the mRNA, may be utilized above the previous scope of disease prevention. By producing viral protein inside the body, the mRNA vaccine opens the way for quick, personalized medical treatment.
Cancer is a disease that has haunted humanity for centuries; its oldest record dates back to 3000 B.C. in Egypt (American Cancer Society, 2018). Defined as the uncontrolled growth of cells and spreading to other parts of the body, cancer is caused by a defect in the genes, either from errors in the cell division process, damage in DNA, or inheritance. Cancer cells will replicate themselves without any restriction signals that would function in normal cells (such as cell duplication cycles and apoptosis) and invade nearby areas, killing other cells and diverting nutrients from blood vessels (National Cancer Institute, 2021).
To treat such detrimental diseases, scientists have long developed vaccines—often by injecting a weakened version of a viral sample into an individual. Recently, a new approach has been taken to treating cancer, namely, using the mRNA vaccine. The vaccine specifically utilizes the characteristics of the mRNA. mRNA, or messenger RNA, is a single-stranded protein that carries genetic information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm to create proteins (Sen, 2023). The mRNA vaccine introduces a viral protein for cells to produce; once it has been introduced, the immune system is able to recognize the intrusion and produce a immune response (MedlinePlus, 2022). The antibodies produced stay in the body, producing an immune response when a pathogen enters the body after being vaccinated.
The vaccine combats cancer cells using the same mechanism; the mRNA vaccine will produce different types of antigens for the disease, and the strongest immune response possible will be activated. The biggest merit of this feature—the “strongest” immune response possible—is that personalized vaccines for each individual can be produced. For example, mRNA-4157 is an mRNA-based PCV (personalized cancer vaccine) that analyzes the cancer cells in order to determine the most powerfully functioning neoantigen for the condition. The messenger RNA delivers the information to the dendritic cells in order to produce the neoantigen protein and thus the antibodies; the immune response is put into practice to treat the particular antigen by the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte and the memory T-cell, and the dendritic cells train the immune system to recognize the certain type of protein. By training the immune system, the recurrence of the disease also is prevented, highly increasing the original chances of survival.
There are a few reasons that mRNA vaccines are being developed and are expected to replace the original vaccines at a fast pace: first, the vaccine is safer because it does not contain the virus directly. The previous forms of vaccines contained the weakened form of an antigen, which the body could combat easily and produce an immune response. However, the side effects—largely mild fevers and headaches—exist from the process, and individuals prone to certain circumstances may undergo serious illnesses from the vaccine. However, as the mRNA vaccine only encodes the viral protein that allows and trains the immune system to recognize the antigen, the likelihood of such side effects are lower, and no further infections are expected as the mRNA molecule is easily broken down by cellular machinery. Hence, the vaccine can be produced faster as it no longer requires numerous clinical demonstrations to test the safety of the newly made virus at a much cheaper price. Also, because neoantigens unique to each individual are produced, the patient can receive personalized care at a quicker rate at a significantly cheaper price.
The mRNA vaccine is expected to replace the traditional form of vaccines at a quick pace; how the vaccines move into our society is about to come forth.
References
American Cancer Society. (2018, January 4). Understanding What Cancer Is: Ancient Times to Present. American Cancer Society. Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/understanding-cancer/history-of-cancer/what-is-cancer.html
Cancer Research UK. (2020, July 1). Pressure from the growing tumor. How cancers grow. Retrieved Jul 16, 2023, from https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/how-cancers-grow
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020, April 2). mRNA Vaccine for Coronavirus/COVID-19. University of Utah Health. Retrieved August 7, 2023, from https://healthcare.utah.edu/coronavirus/vaccine/mrna-vaccine
MedlinePlus. (2022, November 21). What are mRNA vaccines and how do they work. MedlinePlus. Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/therapy/mrnavaccines/
National Cancer Institute. (2021, October 11). What Is Cancer? - NCI. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer
National Cancer Institute (NIH). (n.d.). Definition of mRNA-based personalized cancer vaccine mRNA-4157 - NCI Drug Dictionary - NCI. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved July 21, 2023, from https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-drug/def/mrna-based-personalized-cancer-vaccine-mrna-4157
Sen, S. K. (2023, July 14). Messenger RNA (mRNA). National Human Genome Research Institute. Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/messenger-rna
Stallard, J. (2023, July 28). New mRNA Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Trial Starts Next Phase After Promising Results. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. https://www.mskcc.org/news/can-mrna-vaccines-fight-pancreatic-cancer-msk-clinical-researchers-are-trying-find-out
Comments