Table of contents:
- The difference between mRNA vaccines and conventional vaccines
- The advantages of mRNA vaccines over conventional vaccines
- The mRNA vaccine has the potential to treat cancer
Since the first vaccine was invented for smallpox (smallpox) in 1798, vaccination continued to be used as a means of preventing and overcoming infectious disease outbreaks. Vaccines are generally made using weakened disease-causing organisms (viruses, fungi, bacteria, etc.). However, now there is a type of vaccine called the mRNA vaccine. In modern medicine, this vaccine is relied on as a coronavirus vaccine (SARS-CoV-19) to stop the COVID-19 pandemic.
The difference between mRNA vaccines and conventional vaccines
After the British scientist Doctor Edward Jenner discovered the vaccination method, the French scientist Louis Pasteur in the early 1880s developed the method and managed to find the first vaccine. Pasteur's vaccine is made of anthrax-causing bacteria, which have weakened their ability to infect.
Pasteur's discovery was the beginning of the emergence of conventional vaccines. Furthermore, the method of making vaccines with pathogens is applied in the manufacture of vaccines for immunizing against other infectious diseases, such as measles, polio, chickenpox, and influenza.
Instead of weakening pathogens, vaccines for viral diseases are done by inactivating the virus with certain chemicals. Some conventional vaccines also utilize certain parts of the pathogen, such as the core envelope of the HBV virus used for the hepatitis B vaccine.
In the RNA molecule (mRNA) vaccine, there is absolutely no part of the original bacteria or virus. The mRNA vaccine is made of artificial molecules composed of a protein genetic code unique to a disease-causing organism, namely antigens.
For example, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has 3 protein structures on the sheath, membrane, and spines. Researchers from Vanderbilt University explained that the artificial molecules developed in the mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 have the genetic code (RNA) of proteins in all three parts of the virus.
The advantages of mRNA vaccines over conventional vaccines
Conventional vaccines work in a way that mimics the pathogens that cause infectious diseases. The pathogenic components in the vaccine then stimulate the body to form antibodies. In an RNA molecule vaccine, the genetic code for the pathogen has been formed so that the body can build its own antibodies without stimulation from the pathogen.
The main drawback of conventional vaccines is that they do not provide effective protection for people with compromised immune systems, including the elderly. Even if it builds up immunity, usually a higher dose of the vaccine is required.
In the production and experimental process, the manufacture of RNA molecule vaccines is claimed to be safer because it does not involve pathogenic particles that are at risk of causing infection. Therefore, the mRNA vaccine is considered to have higher effectiveness with a lower risk of side effects. The length of time to manufacture the mRNA vaccine is also faster and can be done directly on a large scale
Launching a scientific review from Cambridge University researchers, the manufacturing process of mRNA vaccines for Ebola, H1N1 influenza, and Toxoplasma viruses can be completed in an average of one week. Therefore, RNA molecular vaccines can be a reliable solution in the alleviation of new disease epidemics.
The mRNA vaccine has the potential to treat cancer
Previously vaccines were known to prevent diseases caused by bacterial and viral infections. However, the RNA molecule vaccine has the potential to be used as a cure for cancer.
The method used in the manufacture of the mRNA vaccine has shown convincing results in the manufacture of immunotherapy which functions to stimulate the immune system to weaken cancer cells.
Still from Cambridge University researchers, it is known that to date more than 50 clinical trials have been carried out on the use of the RNA molecule vaccine in cancer treatment. Studies that have shown positive results include blood cancer, melanoma, brain cancer and prostate cancer.
However, the use of RNA molecule vaccines for cancer treatment still needs to carry out more massive clinical trials to ensure its safety and effectiveness.
