More groups are becoming eligible to access the COVID-19 vaccine than ever before and in many states anyone 16+ will have access beginning in May. With this rollout, mRNA is being talked about more and more in the media, but what exactly is mRNA?
A Definition:
mRNA is short for Messenger RNA, it is a single strand molecule of RNA that complements one of the DNA strands in a gene. The mRNA molecules carry genetic information that is needed to make proteins. That ‘information’ is then carried from the DNA in the nucleus of a cell to the cytoplasm where the proteins are created.
mRNA and COVID-19 Vaccines:
Both the recently approved Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use the relatively new mRNA technology. Many vaccines contain a weakened or inactive germ, but mRNA vaccines do not; rather they ‘tell’ or ‘teach’ our bodies how to make a specific protein that will help trigger an immune response. Once that response happens, your body will start to produce antibodies that will in turn aid you from getting infected with the virus should it enter your body. It’s important to note that while this is a new way to achieve protection, it’s not completely novel. mRNA has been studied with other illnesses such as the flu, rabies, and Zika.
Looking Beyond COVID-19:
Though this use of mRNA sets the stage as being one of the first use cases for mRNA technology, it certainly isn’t the last. The revolutionary technology could also be used to fight against cancer. I know it’s April 1st, but this is not an April Fools joke. Scientists at BioNTech, who worked with Pfizer to create the COVID-19 vaccine, explained last week that they have several cancer vaccines in the works and could be done in just a few years. Like the COVID vaccine, they would use mRNA to tell the body’s immune system to start fighting against a specific disease, in this case, cancer.
Show Me The Data:
A Moderna and Merck partnership currently has two cancer vaccines in clinical trials. The furthest along, mRNA-4157 is a personalized vaccine that delivers neoantigens selected from the patient’s tumor(s). It is being tested in a Phase II trial for the adjuvant treatment of melanoma and in a Phase I trial for the treatment of solid tumors, in both cases in combination with Merck’s Keytruda. Interim results from the Phase I trial look to be promising, with an overall response rate of 50% in a small sample of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
BioNTech also has several cancer vaccines in the works along with early clinical trials. One, BNT111, is currently being tested in a Phase I trial in melanoma patients and is composed of four melanoma antigens. Another vaccine is being tested in advanced melanoma patients in a Phase II trial in combination with Keytruda, with results are expected to come out at the end of this year.
Researchers at MD Andersen are hopeful for the future of this technology in the oncology space. Van Morris, M.D. says, “It’s new and exciting, and we know it can help us predict which patients are at a high risk of recurrence.” And Morris is right. Even though the trials are still very early on, it’s evident that the technology shows great hope for the future of oncology, and I think we can all be excited about that.
Sources:
https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/messenger-rnahttps://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/can-mrna-vaccines-like-those-used-for-covid-19-be-used-in-cancer-care.h00-159457689.html
About the Author: Taylor Genter
Taylor is the Marketing Specialist at Extract with experience in data analytics, graphic design, and both digital and social media marketing. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater. Taylor enjoys analyzing people’s behaviors and attitudes to find out what motivates them, and then curating better ways to communicate with them