Are we on the verge of a COVID vaccine with new mRNA development?

On the verge of a viable vaccine?

This is the first press release I have shared and possibly the most important.

In the ordinary functioning of your body, a molecule called a polymerase uses DNA of the cell as a blueprint for producing mRNA, in a process known as "transcription". mRNA (messenger RNA) is then transported to the ribosomes of the cell where it is translated into a protein. (Do you remember this from Biology class?)

Anyway, mRNA vaccines are a pretty recent development and the one moderna has come up with works by injecting mRNA which when translated by the ribosome, produces the same protein that is present in the "spike" of SARS-CoV-2. Crucially, the mRNA encodes just the "spike" protein and not the rest of the virus.

Once the SARS-CoV-2 antigen is in your body, your adaptive immune system has the opportunity produce the appropriate antibodies without having to inject an attenuated version of the virus.

So if this works, it's clever as hell and bodes well for the fight against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses!

"These interim Phase 1 data, while early, demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits an immune response of the magnitude caused by natural infection starting with a dose as low as 25 µg,"