If you feel that the decision of last week by the federal government Stop $ 500 million in funding For vaccine development projects that use MRNA technology, only Kovid will affect vaccines, think again.
This type of vaccine Use Messenger RNA, or MRNA, to motivate the body to make protein from which induce the antibody response to protect from a pathogen. The science behind it is also being studied for a wide range of other uses, from cancer fighting to autoimmune conditions and more treatment.
Health experts have criticized the move to define this research, indicating the effect that will be on the ability to develop successes against the deadly or weak diseases of the US.
Jeff KolarRNA at the University of Johns Hopkins, Professor of Biology and Medical Sciences, called the Cuts “Robert F. fully carelessly with Kennedy Junior”. This was “clearly being made for political motivations and not for those who are relaxed in our science.”
Former Surgeon General Dr. Zerome adamsThose who served in the first Trump administration said that the technology helps us to develop vaccines and new remedies, “and warned that cuts” can prevent progress in one of the most promising areas of modern medicine “.
“People are going to die because we are cutting less funding for this technology,” Adams recently said on CBS News, “Facing the nation with Margaret Brainon.”
MRNA studied for pancreatic cancer, rare diseases and more
Kolier said that one of the most exciting paths for MRNA technology is in the treatment of deadly cancer, including pancreatic cancer, which is fatal for many patients within six months to one year.
In recent years, researchers have been testing the effectiveness of using a MRNA vaccine to target cancer. A small NIH-funded clinical test by Sloan kettering in 2023 used a MRNA vaccine infection to help promote T cells in the immune system of pancreatic cancer patients. Results, published in magazine NatureAbout 50% showed improvement among participants.
“This, in short, was a treatment for pancreatic cancer, where half the patients of that study were alive,” Koler said.
Initial results encouraged scientists, but the size of the small sample asked for further studies, due to which A. Step 2 test Published in Nature earlier this year.
Experimental MRNA-focused remedies have also shown promise in fighting Lung, Colorectal And Abdominal cancer. For example, a study published online Journal gastric cancer A MRNA-based vaccine was found, which strengthened gastric tumor regression in mice.
And earlier this year, the world was awakened by the news that an infant named KJ Muldun had become a patient first. Personalized gene-editing treatment Using the technique known as Crispr to cure a rare and potentially malignant genetic disorder.
As stated by Kolar, CRISPR technology was to be distributed through MRNA.
“It opens a floodgate for rare diseases,” he said. “Now we are talking, can we use the same technique to go after all rare diseases?”
Another area of autoimmune disease research is to treat things such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatism, inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease.
While all these are still in the initial research phase, Kolar now urged the importance of investing in this technology for future progress.
“We need to use and see where we can meet with the next generation MRNA-based drugs,” he said.
Like Covid-19, research has also been continued on MRNA-based vaccines for infectious diseases such as flu, RSV, Zika virus and cytomegalovirus, known as CMV, an infection that can be harmful to children during mother’s pregnancy.
“We are at a point where we continue to develop this technique, so we will receive more personal, Bispoke medicine that we can use on patients and improve health care results,” Kolar said.
How is MRNA medicine so versatile?
RNA stands for ribonucleic acid, which is an essential molecule in the cells of the body. It is similar to DNA, but has different functions. Messenger bunches the information required to make RNA, or MRNA, protein.
As Kolar said: “If your DNA is a kitchen book, then your MRNA is a personal recipe that is telling your body what to do.”
To exploit the power to treat the disease, “We are doing this technique, giving new dishes. We are taking advantage of this powerful natural system that is present in your body,” he said.
There is the versatility and ability to help in a series of such diseases, which are experts such as Kolar – who were not immediately affected by funding cuts – hopefully the administration will restore funds for MRNA research.
“We have to keep moving forward,” he said. “People want to improve their family life and their children’s life is a bipartisan issue, this is really an American issue. So we have to move forward.”
