For more than 25 years, research labs have been exploring the use of messenger RNA to improve the body’s immunity against disease. With the proven efficacy of the technology against the COVID-19 virus, the researchers see a long timeframe in which the platform could simply be used to make vaccines and remedies for many other diseases besides malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, cystic fibrosis, and even HIV, for which humans have already begun trials of an mRNA vaccine.
The vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) enclosed in a lipid envelope
The vaccine enters a compartment (an endosome) formed by the mobile membrane
Ribosomes, developers of cellular proteins, read mRNA and produce a long chain of amino acids, a polypeptide.
Polypeptides bind to shape viral spike proteins
The mobile presents the proteins of the spike to the immune system
The immune formula is primed to produce antibodies that prevent the virus from attaching to ACE2 receptor host cells.
For more than 25 years, research labs have been exploring the use of messenger RNA to improve the body’s immunity against disease. With the proven efficacy of the technology against the COVID-19 virus, the researchers see a long timeframe in which the platform could simply be used to make vaccines and remedies for many other diseases besides malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, cystic fibrosis, and even HIV, for which humans have already begun trials of an mRNA vaccine.
The vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) enclosed in a lipid envelope
The vaccine enters a compartment (an endosome) formed by the mobile membrane
Ribosomes, developers of cellular proteins, read mRNA and produce a long chain of amino acids, a polypeptide.
Polypeptides bind to shape viral spike proteins
The mobile presents the proteins of the spike to the immune system
The immune formula is primed to produce antibodies that prevent the virus from attaching to ACE2 receptor host cells.
For more than 25 years, research labs have been exploring the use of messenger RNA to improve the body’s immunity against disease. With the proven efficacy of the technology against the COVID-19 virus, the researchers see a long timeframe in which the platform could simply be used to make vaccines and remedies for many other diseases besides malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, cystic fibrosis, and even HIV, for which humans have already begun trials of an mRNA vaccine.
The vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) enclosed in a lipid envelope.
The immune formula is primed to produce antibodies that prevent the virus from attaching to ACE2 receptor host cells.
The mobile presents the proteins of the spike to the immune system
Polypeptides bind to shape viral spike proteins
The vaccine enters a compartment (an endosome) formed by the mobile membrane
Ribosomes, developers of cellular proteins, read mRNA and produce a long chain of amino acids, a polypeptide.
For more than 25 years, research labs have been exploring the use of messenger RNA to improve the body’s immunity against disease. With the proven efficacy of the technology against the COVID-19 virus, the researchers see a long timeframe in which the platform could simply be used to make vaccines and remedies for many other diseases besides malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, cystic fibrosis, and even HIV, for which humans have already begun trials of an mRNA vaccine.
The vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) enclosed in a lipid envelope
1
MRNA
Over
Cell membrane
HOST
CELL
The vaccine enters a compartment (an endosome) formed by the mobile membrane
2
The endosome fuses with the lipid envelope and the mRNA is released. The mRNA carries it to make copies of the spike proteins of the virus.
3
Ribosomes, developers of cellular proteins, read mRNA and produce a long chain of amino acids, a polypeptide.
4
Ribosome
Polypeptides
Polypeptides bind to shape viral spike proteins
5
Viral spike protein
ACE2 receptors
The mobile presents the proteins of the spike to the immune system
6
Antibody
The immune formula is primed to produce antibodies that prevent the virus from attaching to ACE2 receptor host cells.
Seven
Virus
particle
MURAT YÜKSELIR /
THE GLOBE AND THE MAIL
For more than 25 years, research labs have been exploring the use of messenger RNA to improve the body’s immunity against disease. With the proven efficacy of the technology against the COVID-19 virus, the researchers see a long timeframe in which the platform could simply be used to make vaccines and remedies for many other diseases besides malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, cystic fibrosis, and even HIV, for which humans have already begun trials of an mRNA vaccine.
1
The vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) enclosed in a lipid envelope
MRNA
Over
Cell membrane
HOST CELL
2
The vaccine enters a compartment (an endosome) formed by the mobile membrane
3
The endosome fuses with the lipid envelope and the mRNA is released. The mRNA carries it to make copies of the spike proteins of the virus.
4
Ribosomes, developers of cellular proteins, read mRNA and produce a long chain of amino acids, a polypeptide.
Ribosome
Polypeptides
5
Polypeptides bind to shape viral spike proteins
Viral spike protein
ACE2 receptors
6
The mobile presents the proteins of the spike to the immune system
Antibody
Seven
The immune formula is primed to produce antibodies that prevent the virus from attaching to ACE2 receptor host cells.
Virus
particle
MURAT YÜKSELIR /
THE GLOBE AND THE MAIL
For more than 25 years, research labs have been exploring the use of messenger RNA to improve the body’s immunity against disease. With the proven efficacy of the technology against the COVID-19 virus, the researchers see a long timeframe in which the platform could simply be used to make vaccines and remedies for many other diseases besides malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, cystic fibrosis, and even HIV, for which humans have already begun trials of an mRNA vaccine.
Virus
particle
The vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) enclosed in a lipid envelope
The immune formula is primed to produce antibodies that prevent the virus from attaching to ACE2 receptor host cells.
1
Seven
MRNA
Over
ACE2
Receptors
Antibody
Cell membrane
The mobile presents the proteins of the spike to the immune system
6
HOST CELL
Viral spike protein
Polypeptides join to form viral spike proteins
5
The vaccine enters a compartment (an endosome) formed by the mobile membrane
2
Polypeptides
The endosome fuses with the lipid envelope and the mRNA is released. The mRNA carries it to make copies of the spike proteins of the virus.
Ribosomes, developers of cellular proteins, read mRNA and produce a long chain of amino acids, a polypeptide.
3
4
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND THE MAIL
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Geoffrey York is the Africa bureau chief for The Globe and Mail in Johannesburg, South Africa.
He has been the paper’s foreign correspondent since 1994, seven years as head of the Moscow bureau and seven years as head of the Beijing bureau.
Geoffrey is an experienced war correspondent who has covered war zones since 1992 in places like Somalia, Sudan, Chechnya, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the author of 3 books, adding two books on Aboriginal problems in Canada.
He has won several journalistic awards, a National Magazine Award and two National Newspaper Awards.