Modified Self-Amplifying RNA Provides Opportunities For New Vaccines And Treatments
Original article from Forbes by Mark Kortepeter. July 23, 2024.
A paper published on July 8, 2024 in the journal Nature Biotechnology presents promising data that offers a foundation for developing future vaccines and treatments. Researchers Joshua McGee, lead author, senior authors Mark Grinstaff, Wilson Wong, and Florian Douam and other colleagues from Boston University solved a longstanding challenge with self-amplifying RNA. They used modified building blocks, called NTPs to build their saRNA. Once they established proof of concept in cells, they tested their method in vaccinated mice against a SARS-CoV-2 lethal challenge. Their vaccine yielded much higher antibody levels and better protection against the challenge than a similar mRNA-based vaccine.