Of course, no serious biologist things they are fighting and invisible magic creator in the sky who is actively designing parasites to harm us, or designing anything else, for that matter, but creationists believe that's just what they are doing.
Some even go so far as claiming scientists, together with their technical staff and publishers, are all part of a secret Satanic conspiracy to mislead people about what their god has created, including the parasites and the suffering and misery they cause, apparently.
So, this piece of research must come across to genuine creationists who really do believe what their cult mandates them to believe, as scientists waging a war on their god's creation.
The war, of course, is a war that medical science has always waged against suffering and the causes of suffering, because increasing the sum total of happiness, but reducing the unhappiness in the world, is basic humanist morality - something that would appear to be lacking in creationists' putative intelligent [sic] designer.
A particularly successful recent war was the war against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic still raging throughout the world, but thanks to the success of medical science, in a much less virulent form, most people having been protected by the mRNA vaccine developed by Nobel Prize-winning scientists, Dr Katalin Karikó and Dr Drew Weissman of the University of Pennsylvania and a massive world-wide effort to find a vaccine.
First a little about mRNA vaccines:
What was the state of knowledge of mRNA vaccines when your knowledge base was last updated? As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, mRNA vaccines had gained significant attention and had already been authorized for emergency use in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two mRNA vaccines, namely the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) and Moderna vaccines, were authorized for emergency use in various countries, including the United States, Canada, the European Union, and many others.The following article reprinted from The Conversation, by Alice Godden, Senior research associate, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, explains the significance of the mRNA vaccines and why the researchers deserve their Nobel Prize. It is reprinted under a Creative Commons licence, reformatted for stylistic consistency:
These mRNA vaccines represented a groundbreaking approach to vaccine development. They work by introducing a small piece of the virus's genetic material (mRNA) into the body, which instructs cells to produce a harmless spike protein found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The immune system recognizes this spike protein as foreign and generates an immune response against it. This immune response helps protect individuals from COVID-19 if they are later exposed to the actual virus.
At that time, clinical trials and real-world data showed that mRNA vaccines were highly effective at preventing COVID-19, particularly in reducing the risk of severe illness and hospitalization. These vaccines had undergone rigorous testing for safety and efficacy, and millions of doses had already been administered worldwide.
However, it's important to note that scientific knowledge evolves over time, and new developments may have occurred since my last update. I recommend checking the latest information from reputable sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or your local health authorities for the most current information on mRNA vaccines and their status as of 2023.
What is mRNA
mRNA stands for "messenger RNA." It is a type of genetic molecule that plays a crucial role in the process of protein synthesis within cells. mRNA serves as a messenger, carrying genetic information from DNA in the cell's nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where proteins are synthesized. Here's a simplified overview of how mRNA works:
- Transcription:The process begins in the cell's nucleus, where the DNA contains the genetic instructions for making proteins. When a particular protein needs to be produced, a section of the DNA with the corresponding genetic code is "transcribed" into a complementary mRNA molecule. This mRNA molecule is a copy of the genetic instructions needed to build that specific protein.
- Processing:The newly formed mRNA molecule may undergo some modifications, such as the removal of non-coding regions (introns) and the joining together of coding regions (exons). This processing helps ensure that the mRNA contains only the necessary information for protein synthesis.
- Export:Once the mRNA is processed, it is transported out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm, where protein synthesis takes place.
- Translation:In the cytoplasm, the ribosomes "read" the information encoded in the mRNA. They use this information to assemble the amino acids in the correct order to build the specific protein specified by the mRNA's genetic code.
- Protein Synthesis:As the ribosome moves along the mRNA molecule, it connects amino acids together to form a growing polypeptide chain, which eventually folds into a functional protein.
mRNA is a dynamic molecule because it can be transcribed from DNA whenever the cell needs to produce a particular protein. This allows cells to respond to changing conditions and adapt to their environment. In the context of mRNA vaccines, synthetic mRNA is used to provide instructions to cells to produce a specific protein, such as the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which triggers an immune response and helps protect against infection.
In addition to COVID-19 vaccines, what other applications do mRNA vaccines have or could have in the future?
mRNA vaccine technology has shown promise beyond its use in COVID-19 vaccines, and it has the potential for various other applications in the field of medicine and biotechnology. Here are some of the potential applications and areas of ongoing research:
- Infectious Diseases: mRNA vaccines could be developed for a wide range of infectious diseases, such as influenza, Zika virus, HIV, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). These vaccines can be designed and manufactured relatively quickly to respond to emerging infectious threats.
- Cancer Immunotherapy: mRNA vaccines can be tailored to target specific cancer antigens, stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. Research in this area is ongoing, and mRNA-based cancer vaccines are being investigated in clinical trials.
- Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases: mRNA vaccines could potentially be used to modulate the immune system's response in conditions like allergies and autoimmune diseases by targeting specific antigens or regulatory pathways.
- Inherited Genetic Disorders: Researchers are exploring the use of mRNA therapy to treat inherited genetic disorders caused by mutations in specific genes. These therapies aim to replace or correct faulty genetic information.
- Protein Replacement: mRNA technology could be used to produce proteins that the body is deficient in, such as insulin for diabetes patients or clotting factors for individuals with hemophilia.
- Vaccine Platform for Emerging Diseases: The rapid development and production capabilities of mRNA vaccines make them a valuable tool for responding to new and emerging infectious diseases, potentially reducing the time it takes to create and distribute vaccines during outbreaks.
- Personalized Medicine: mRNA vaccines can be customized for individual patients based on their unique genetic profiles, potentially leading to more effective and tailored treatments.
- Tumor Antigen Discovery: mRNA vaccines can be used to help identify novel tumor antigens, aiding in the development of new cancer therapies.
- Infectious Disease Prevention in Livestock: mRNA vaccines could be used in veterinary medicine to prevent infectious diseases in livestock and pets.
- Malaria and Other Global Health Challenges: Researchers are exploring mRNA vaccine candidates for diseases like malaria, which continues to pose a major global health challenge.
It's important to note that while mRNA vaccine technology holds great promise, its development and application in these areas are ongoing and may require further research, development, and clinical testing before widespread use. The success of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 has accelerated research in this field and opened up new possibilities for addressing a wide range of health challenges.
Nobel prize in medicine awarded to mRNA pioneers – here’s how their discovery was integral to COVID vaccine development
Katalin Karikó, PhD
Photo Credit: Peggy Peterson Photography for Penn Medicine
Photo Credit: Peggy Peterson Photography for Penn Medicine
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD
Photo Credit: Peggy Peterson Photography for Penn Medicine
Photo Credit: Peggy Peterson Photography for Penn Medicine
Alice Godden, University of East Anglia
Billions of people around the world have received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. The rapid development of these vaccines changed the course of the pandemic, providing protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
But these vaccines would not have been possible it if weren’t for the pioneering work of this year’s winners of the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine decades earlier.
Dr Katalin Karikó and Dr Drew Weissman, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, have been given the prestigious award for their discoveries into mRNA biology. The pair were the first to discover a way of modifying mRNA that allowed it to successfully be delivered to cells and replicated by them.
Their discovery was not only integral to COVID-19 vaccine development, but may also lead to the development of many other therapies – such as vaccines for cancer.
Life’s work
Karikó is a Hungarian biochemist and Weissman an American physician scientist. The two began working together in 1985 when Karikó was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, where Weissman was already working as an immunologist. They had a shared interest in how mRNA could be used to make new therapies.
Messenger RNA (better known as mRNA) is an essential molecule to life. It’s made in the body from our very own DNA in a process called translation. DNA is our special encoded handbook of instructions for manufacturing proteins, which are the building blocks for material in the body.
Our mRNA copies and carries these genetic instructions from our DNA to our cells. The cells then make whatever protein they’ve been instructed to, such as haemoglobin which helps red blood cells carry oxygen around the body.
Karikó and Weissman thought that if it was possible to commandeer this process, mRNA could be used to instruct cells to essentially make their own cures. But at the time they started working together, attempts by other researchers to do this had been unsuccessful.
The researchers faced two major challenges as they began their work. The first was being able to prevent the host from mounting an immune response against the modified mRNA. The second was being able to deliver the mRNA into the host safely without it degrading.
To understand how they overcame the first barrier, it’s important to understand mRNA’s structure. Normally, mRNA molecules contain four types of smaller molecules known as bases (nucleosides): A (adenine), U (uridine), G (guanine), and C (cytosine). Different sequences of these bases can be strung together to produce the basis of an mRNA molecule.
Messenger RNA copies and carries genetic instructions from our DNA.
Credit: Kateryna Kon/ Shutterstock
So the researchers modified the U nucleoside to create a pseudouridine, a chemical compound which stabilises RNA’s structure. When they repeated their experiment with the modified mRNA, the mice exhibited no immune response.
But Karikó and Weismann still faced the second challenge of being able to deliver the bespoke mRNA without it degrading.
They decided to use lipids (a nanoparticle) to deliver it. These fatty chemical compounds are an essential part of the cell membrane, controlling what enters and leaves the cell. Specially created lipids allowed the mRNA molecules to be delivered without being degraded or broken down by the immune system.
Karikó and Weissman’s research had successfully eliminated the obstacles that had previously stood in the way of using mRNA clinically. Being able to instruct the body to replicate virtually any harmless protein could have potential for treating a range of diseases and even protect against viral infections.
COVID vaccines
When their research was first published, it didn’t garner much attention. But in 2011, two biotech companies – Moderna and BioNTech – took notice and began research into mRNA medicines.
It’s no wonder why. Traditional vaccine production methods are time consuming, expensive and don’t work for every vaccine. But Karikó and Weissman’s work showed that synthetic mRNA could be made at a large scale.
Researchers had already been working on developing mRNA vaccines before the pandemic, such as a vaccine for Ebola that didn’t receive much commercial interest. But in 2020, when COVID-19 began spreading around the globe, vaccines were needed quickly to offer protection.
Using the foundational work of Karikó and Weissman, scientists developed a bespoke mRNA sequence which mimicked the spike protein (which allows the virus to enter our cells). This produced a harmless COVID particle which our cells then replicated, allowing our bodies to protect us from severe COVID infections when it encountered the real virus.
Karikó and Weissman’s discoveries years earlier were critical in making the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines possible. But these aren’t the only ways their work could be applied.
Researchers are now hoping to develop mRNA vaccines for diseases such as HIV and Zika virus. Studies have also shown mRNA vaccines might be useful in treating certain types of cancer.
Alice Godden, Senior research associate, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
It's also amazing that there are still antivaxxer idiots who variously claim the vaccines are dangerous, or part of some sinister international conspiracy, or aren't effective, when the statistics tell a different story. The vaccines are not only far, far safer than catching COVID-19, they are also very effective at reducing the severity of the condition if infected, as I can testify, having had COVID-19 recently following a trip to France in which I and my partner almost certainly caught it during the flight home. I am now on my 4th booster following the initial two vaccinations and have never experience more than a slightly sore arm for a day or two.
Meanwhile, all the prayers in the world did nothing to reduce the mortality rate of COVID-19 and no 'creation scientist' contributed anything to mitigate it, more often than not actively opposing measures to control it, with a large proportion of antivaxx covidiots also being creationist fundamentalists.
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