Title : The Incredible potential of mRNA technologies to harness the body’s immune system to future proof the health of mankind
Abstract:
The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought to the fore the incredible potential of mRNA vaccine technology and it’s ability to make a major contribution to human health. Prior to the pandemic several research groups and companies, were exploring the ability to create vaccines, based on mRNA technology, to stimulate the body’s immune system to produce antibodies against specific antigenic sites, be they body specific, e.g. targeting immune regulation, or malignant cell antigens, or raising immunity to viral pathogens, such as the Hemagglutinin of Influenza. The pandemic accelerated both the development of viral specific pathogens, principally against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and means of delivery on a mass scale. This presentation will explore the lessons learnt during the pandemic, in terms of the vaccine technology, it’s impact and effectiveness, it will also look forward as to how these vaccines could be used in the future. The presentation will cover the incredible potential of this technology to shorten the development and production times for vaccines between emergence of new threats and viable vaccines for mass immunisation. The pandemic demonstrated that, unlike other vaccine types and production processes, mRNA vaccines can be produced at pace once the genetic code of the target site is known and shared easily, via the internet, removing the need to transport highly pathogenic material. The benefits in terms of vaccine development and timeliness, of mRNA technology will be explored. It is recognised that several viral pathogens have pandemic potential, including coronaviruses and Influenza and while we currently have experience of six coronaviruses that have crossed the species many more remain a threat in nature. In addition, excluding the many varieties of avian Influenza viruses, we know that Influenza A, with three distinct Hemagglutinin and two neuraminidases, have caused devastating pandemics of the past, two strains, H3N2 and H1N1, still circulate. In the case of Influenza, the wholly grail of vaccine development has been the search for an antigenic site that could be the target for a universal vaccine. If such a universal site exists and can be shown to be amenable to vaccine driven protective immunity, then mRNA technology may well be the modality of choice to exploit this. This talk will explore other means by which mRNA vaccines can be used to protect us against pathogens, old and new, in pre-emptive ways.
Audience Take-Away:
- Gain a greater understanding of the role and nature of mRNA vaccines
- The audience will be able to understand and champion the development and use of this technology and explain its benefits to policy makers
- Stimulate others to seek out new uses for this technology
- Start to develop programmes of vaccine use in their own geographies and institutions.
