GEN-Thermo_Oct22_MakingThePromiseOf - 6

Bright Future of mRNA Technology
in adopting IVT reactions to help make mRNA
production rapid, inexpensive, and scalable.
IVT is a robust and efficient process for synthesizing
RNA that are long and stable and offers many advantages
over conventional plasmid DNA for the expression
of target proteins. The use of in vitro synthesized
RNA can not only open doors for a new class of gene
therapies, but it also has historically been instrumental
in the development of CRISPR editing tools.
Yet challenges remain when it comes to optimizing
the IVT process, and new techniques are still works in
progress. For example, researchers are looking at ways
to minimize the formation of unwanted byproducts
such as double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which is not
removed by the affinity resin and can be tedious and
time-consuming to detect using current techniques.
If not addressed, larger quantities of dsRNA may
require an extra polishing step that could slow down
the development process. Potential future solutions
for reducing dsRNA include modifying the enzyme
used in the reaction or optimizing the template
sequence. " It is important to note that the balance
is much more likely to be tipped in your favor with
high-quality starting materials and raw materials, " said
Jeneffer England, R&D Manager, mRNA Vaccines &
Therapeutics, at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
As mRNA production continues to change and grow,
the gradual scale-up of IVT mRNA can provide the
foundation for a broad range of applications. IVT
mRNA can be manufactured at relatively low cost
and within a few hours, enabling the generation of
mRNA ranging from a few hundred to more than
10,000 nucleotides in length. This can facilitate drug
discovery and optimization, which is integral for this
field at this time of growth.
6 | GENengnews.com
The Future Ahead
From emerging biotech companies to global
biopharma companies, we continue to see industry
investments in the mRNA landscape. While the
technology itself and manufacturing processes
are still evolving, mRNA vaccines and therapeutics
show incredible promise in fulfilling currently
unmet medical needs. In fact, there are clinical
research projects already underway to develop
mRNA therapies that could treat or prevent a
myriad of diseases and conditions beyond COVID19.
These include therapeutics for influenza, HIV,
Lyme disease, Ebola virus, Zika virus, and even
colorectal cancer.
In a phase 1 safety and immunogenicity trial in
humans, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
tested an mRNA vaccine for HIV. The researchers
reported that it produced strong anti-HIV antibody
responses in study subjects [3], stimulating the
development of B cells capable of producing the
neutralizing anti-HIV antibody VRC01. Meanwhile,
Moderna, one of the key leaders in the mRNA
vaccine arena, has been pursuing the development
of an HIV vaccine for years. Approximately 38
million people are currently living with HIV worldwide
[4], with 1.2 million in the US [5]. The company's
research in the development of an HIV vaccine
paved the path for the creation of the Moderna
COVID-19 vaccine.
A group of international researchers is also
testing whether mRNA technology can potentially
prevent colorectal cancer from recurring.
Many colorectal cancer patients rely on surgery
for the removal of cancerous tumors, but even
after surgery, cancer cells can remain in the
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GEN-Thermo_Oct22_MakingThePromiseOf

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