mRNA, or messenger ribonucleic acid, is a copy of genetic material that is used by cells to code for various proteins produced throughout an organism. mRnA vaccines are a new approach to inoculation, that uses a portion of a virus’s genetic material instead of using a weakened virus to teach host cells to create a specific immune response for the specified virus.
According to Aarti Raja, associate professor at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences department of biological sciences, “mRNA is a piece of genetic information, and what is done with this piece of information when in the form of a vaccine is ensure that this [segment] gets into the host cell. [The host cell] will end up producing certain proteins or molecules from that RNA. When the body sees those proteins, the body’s going to generate an immune response against those proteins. That immune response is going to protect us in the future, should the entire virus show up.”
The vaccines for COVID-19 contained the mRNA strands that code for the spike proteins. These spike proteins cover the surface of the COVID-19 virus, and function as a mechanism that allows the virus to infect cells. By exposing healthy cells to the spike proteins prior to infection, those host cells are able to recognize and create an immune response that blocks the spike proteins.
“In this case, with the mRNA vaccine designed against SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19], what they have done is taken a portion of the [gene sequence], that belongs to SARS-CoV-2, and they utilize that portion of that genetic information to create a vaccine. They picked up the genetic information that codes for the spike protein, and they said let’s prep the human body to make all the antibodies that will attack the spike protein. We get the mRNA that is going to generate the spike protein, our bodies see the spike protein makes all the antibodies, and it’s got all the armaments ready,” said Raja. “Now in real life should we see the actual virus, you get infected, your body already has all the armaments made to target the spike proteins. The same concept can be applied to any virus.”
The COVID-19 virus vaccine is the first successful mRNA vaccine and shows a proper immune response in the presence of the full virus. mRNA vaccines have been tested for influenza, rabies, cytomeglovirus and Zika, but the vaccines for COVID-19 and HIV have shown promising results. When compared to viral vaccines, like those used for other viruses, mRNA vaccines are easier and quicker to produce.
