![]() READ MORE: The essential COVID-19 vaccine FAQ “Pretty much every single cell in my body at this particular moment is producing billions and billions and billions of messenger RNAs,” Duprex said. Every day, mRNA molecules constantly carry genetic information coded in that DNA from the nucleus to the parts of the cells, called ribosomes, that can interpret those messages and then make the proteins that carry out essential biological processes. Our DNA resides inside the nucleus of our cells. ![]() These vaccines teach the body to remember one of the coronavirus’ defining features - its spike protein - and prompt the creation of antibodies that can prevent it from infecting cells. Rather than tinkering with the virus or its parts, this platform harnesses the “beauty of our biology” to deliver protection, said RNA virologist Paul Duprex, who directs the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research. ![]() For others, including the HPV and shingles vaccines, it’s a piece of that pathogen, like the specific protein it uses to infect cells in the first place.īut mRNA vaccines take a different approach. There are lots of different ways to make a vaccine, but the ultimate goal of any shot is to introduce the body to the biological equivalent of a “most wanted” poster so that if the real enemy ever shows up, our immune systems know how to fight it off.įor some vaccines, that poster is a version of a pathogen that’s been weakened - like the chickenpox shot - or inactivated - like most flu shots - so that it can’t actually cause infection. ![]()
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