In the case of vaccines, the mRNA codes for a piece of a viral protein known as an antigen. In principle, the process can be used to generate synthetic mRNA that codes for any protein of interest. When in vitro transcribed mRNA is introduced into a cell, it is 'read' by the cell's protein production machinery in a similar manner to how natural mRNA functions. When mixed together, the polymerase reads the strand of DNA and converts the code into a strand of mRNA, by linking different nucleotides together in the correct order. This requires an enzyme (called RNA polymerase) and nucleotides (the molecules that are the building blocks of DNA and RNA). The process, known as in-vitro transcription, can generate many mRNA molecules from a strand of DNA in a test tube. Nearly 40 years ago scientists found that they could mimic transcription and produce synthetic mRNA without a cell. The result is an important protein, such as an enzyme, antibody, hormone, or structural component of the cell. The mRNA is then transported into the cytoplasm (the solution contained in the cell) where the message is 'read' and translated by the cell's protein production machinery. The code is copied from a strand of DNA in the nucleus of the cell, in a process called transcription. These molecules carry unique codes that tell our cells which proteins to make and when to make them. As the name implies, mRNA acts as an important messenger in human cells. There are many types of RNA, each with distinct functions. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a natural molecule found in all our cells. As a result, mRNA technologies have been catapulted into the public spotlight. Decades of research and clinical development into synthetic mRNA platforms for cancer treatments and vaccines for infectious diseases like influenza, malaria, and rabies, finally paid off as both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 mRNA vaccines received emergency use authorisation. This is where messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, which are classified as a next-generation technology, gained prominence. The COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for an effective vaccine.
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