In the wake of the technology's spectacular success in generating rapid-response COVID-19 vaccines, investors have poured billions of dollars into expanding the therapeutic reach of mRNA.

This money influx promises to boost the research and infrastructure needed to deploy mRNA medicines in ways that can transform public health by tackling hard-to-treat infectious diseases, cancers, and rare genetic disorders.

Stopping outbreaks: when speed is essential

mRNA-based vaccines rose to prominence not only for their safety and effectiveness, but also for the speed with which they were developed and deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because synthetic mRNA can be designed and manufactured in days, the technology allows vaccines to be rapidly reformulated to address the ever-evolving nature of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. Or it can be deployed as a rapid response tool against new infectious threats.

How do these vaccines work?

Most traditional vaccines use viruses or bacteria, either weakened or killed, or proteins from these pathogens to trigger the immune system to produce protective antibodies and other defenses against future infections. mRNA vaccines work differently than traditional immunizations.

These vaccines deliver mRNA that instructs a person's cells to make copies of viral proteins, also known as antigens. This process stimulates the body to generate protective antibodies and immune cells that fight viruses.

Once the vaccine's mRNA enters the body's cells, it uses the natural protein synthesis mechanism to provide instructions to the cells. These cells that read the mRNA instructions begin to produce the specified pathogen protein, in the case of COVID for example, it is the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The body's immune system recognizes the pathogen protein as foreign and begins to produce an immune response. This response includes the production of antibodies that are designed to fight the protein. In addition to the antibodies production, the immune system also creates an immunological memory. This means that the immune system "remembers" how to fight that protein in case the body encounters the same virus in the future. Messenger RNA (mRNA) has emerged as a promising tool in the research and treatments development for various serious diseases.

It is currently being studied in diseases such as:

• Cancer: Scientists are exploring the possibility of using mRNA therapies to stimulate an immune response directed against cancer cells, known as immunotherapy. Specific mRNA vaccines for certain types of cancer are also being investigated.
• Genetic diseases: mRNA therapies have the potential to correct or compensate for genetic defects that cause serious diseases. In rare diseases, such as sickle cell anemia or Duchenne muscular dystrophy, research is underway to develop mRNA therapies that address the underlying cause of the disease.
• Immune diseases: mRNA treatments are being explored to modulate or regulate the immune system. This could help reduce the excessive immune response that characterizes these conditions.
• Neurodegenerative diseases: These approaches seek to slow the progression of these diseases - Alzheimer's or Huntington's - by addressing the production of abnormal proteins.
• Infectious diseases: In addition to COVID-19, mRNA is being researched to develop vaccines against other infectious diseases, such as influenza, HIV, and Zika.

Importantly, while mRNA offers great potential in treating serious diseases, research and development are in early stages. However, the versatility and precision of mRNA make it a promising tool to address a variety of serious diseases in the future.