Posted by Alumni from The Conversation
January 4, 2024
Vaccines have been reliably and affordably protecting people from diseases worldwide for centuries. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, however, vaccine development was still a long and idiosyncratic process. Traditionally, researchers had to tailor manufacturing processes and facilities for each vaccine candidate, and the scientific knowledge gained from one vaccine was often not directly transferable to another. I am a biochemist, and my lab at UMass Chan Medical School focuses on developing better ways to use mRNA as a drug. Although there are many possibilities for what researchers can use mRNA to treat, some important limitations remain. Better understanding how mRNA-based drugs interact with the immune system and how they are degraded in human cells can help lead to safe, durable and effective treatments for a wide range of diseases. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is made of four building blocks denoted by the letters A, C, G and U. The sequence of letters in an mRNA molecule conveys... learn more
Ratings & Reviews
Entrepreneur & Investor