Its not a bad high level look, but the point that needs more refining is that the mRNA does not create genetically engineered antigens. Corona Virus is an RNA virus (SS RNA to be precise, there are some really weird DS RNA but thats another story). Once the virus sheds its capsule after gaining entry into the cell (with CoVID it is the spike protein that allows penetration of the cell membrane which is a lipid bilayer) it exposes its RNA to the ribosomes and starts to translate its protein. because the RNA is the entire virus, it replicates proteins for more whole virus.
So the current vaccine has the mRNA of the spike protein only. It is exactly what the virus does...but in this case the only thing coded for is the spike protein. Once the spike protein is replicated, the immune system says essentially “what the hell is that” and mounts the initial immune response (IgM antibodies). Once this occurs the second poster exposes the immune system and there is a larger response but this is the key to driving T-cell immunity which is memory immunity.
So “traditional” vaccines inject either the isolated protein for which to generate an immune response, or a live attenuated virus that hopefully does not cause a true infection. So in effect, the mRNA technology acts just like the virus, but does not create an entire and virulent copy, rather creates immunity in a much safer way.
This technology will lead to targeted Cancer and Viral vaccine in the future. It is a true breakthrough.
“This technology will lead to targeted Cancer and Viral vaccine in the future. It is a true breakthrough.”
I sure hope so. Thanks for adding the important information. Viruses are not my forte’. I spent some time in the virus textbook last December (2019) as I was getting a lot of vaccines for foreign travel, and wanted to understand them. Spent some time learning the Baltimore classification system and the various categories of viruses. I’m getting older and the memory doesn’t work like it used to!!!
There is one part of your commentary that I would like to clarify. I agree with you, but I focused on how the genetic sequence of the virus spike protein was made, i.e. the vaccine that is injected into the body.
You stated, “they teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.” That is correct. But the “teaching” is done by injecting an artificially generated RNA sequence or segment that replicates the spike protein of the virus.
What makes this different is that the segment is artificially created and not a part of a virus. Is the imitation identical? Hope so.
Two of my children went into genetic engineering and cloning research in med school, my daughter’s research related to malaria virus and Babesia. For me, it’s like computers, when you want to understand something, ask your children!!!
My apologies... I now understand.
They are creating the mRNA sequence that is used by the ribosomes to create the spike protein that is the antigen. You are correct, they are not directly creating the antigen, but are indirectly creating it by creating the recipe in the mRNA.
Thank you for challenging me. I am always willing to learn.
“because the RNA is the entire virus, it replicates proteins for more whole virus.”
Replicated is the wrong word. The proteins are translated from the RNA message. You use replication to refer to protein translation in a subsequent paragraph as well.
As far as how this RNA vaccine works, I believe the translated antigen sequences are processed and presented in MHC.