Cancer vaccines have gained much interest among scientists but face a number of hurdles. A new mRNA vaccine for glioma offers a step forward in training the immune system to fight cancer.
Two hurdles mRNA drugs face are a short half-life and impurities that trigger immune responses.
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The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the promise of using mRNA as medicine. But before mRNA drugs can go beyond vaccines, researchers need to identify the right diseases to treat.
One of the advantages of mRNA is its scalability.
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From COVID-19 vaccines to cancer treatments and beyond, the flexibility of mRNA-based therapies gives them the potential to prevent and treat many types of diseases.
Considered a pipe dream not too long ago, research on RNA therapeutics is progressing rapidly. Now a new manufacturing protocol will help researchers to advance the technology.
A computer illustration of the molecular model of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA).
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This is an era of exciting advances in medical science. But Africa is in danger of being at the back of the queue once again. What should we be doing to make sure this doesn’t happen?
The winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine made a discovery that helped create the COVID-19 vaccines. They couldn’t have anticipated the tremendous impact of their findings.
Karikó and Weissman first began working together in 1985.
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With the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror, at least for now, we look back on a handful of stories that provided sharp insights at key moments in the pandemic.
Vaccines help protect farm animals from various diseases.
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While mRNA vaccines are designed to last longer in the body than mRNA molecules typically would, they are also tested to ensure they are eliminated from livestock long before milking or slaughter.
Cancer vaccines are an emerging personalised treatment for cancer. Using the same mRNA technology as COVID vaccines, they stimulate the immune system to destroy cancer cells.
Annual flu vaccines are in a constant race against a rapidly mutating virus that may one day cause the next pandemic. A one-time vaccine protecting against all variants could give humanity a leg up.
In a matter of days, eligible people will be lining up to receive the newly formulated booster shot.
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The CDC’s endorsement of the reformulated COVID-19 booster shots represents a major step in the effort to get more Americans boosted.
Although the COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives, they have been insufficient at preventing breakthrough infections.
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A robust body of research finds that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy is safe and effective – and the best way to protect both mother and child from the risks of COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught most people more than they ever expected to know about immunology.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought immunology terms that are typically relegated to textbooks into our everyday vernacular. These stories helped us make sense of the ever-evolving science.
Preliminary research suggests that the omicron variant may potentially induce a robust immune response.
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Some of the omicron variant’s unique properties – such as its ability to spread rapidly while causing milder COVID-19 infections – could usher in a new phase of the pandemic.
Nucleic acid vaccines use mRNA to give cells instructions on how to produce a desired protein.
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DNA and mRNA vaccines produce a different kind of immune response than traditional vaccines, allowing researchers to tackle some previously unsolvable problems in medicine.
Professor and Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute & Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco