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Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman laid the groundwork for immunizations that were rolled out during the pandemic at record-breaking speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study published in Indian Pediatrics highlights the potential role of antiviral treatment in preserving pancreatic beta-cell function in children with new-onset type 1 diabetes. The study found that children who received antiviral treatment had higher pancreatic beta-cell function compared to those who received a placebo. This suggests that antivirals may have a role in managing type 1 diabetes in children. In another study, researchers analyzed data from three drug efficacy studies and found evidence of partial resistance to artemisinin, the main drug for treating malaria, in Rwanda and Uganda. This poses a serious threat to malaria control efforts in the African region. Additionally, the World Health Organization has recommended a second antimalarial vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, for use in malaria-endemic areas with a high disease burden. The vaccine showed an efficacy of 75% against high seasonal malaria transmission sites and 68% against sites with more perennial transmission. Finally, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2023 was awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. Their research paved the way for rapid and flexible vaccine production in response to outbreaks and pandemics. [Extracted from the article]

Biomedical research is fundamental in developing preventive and therapeutic vaccines, serving as a cornerstone of global public health. This review explores the key concepts, methodologies, tools, and challenges in the vaccine development landscape, focusing on transitioning from basic biomedical sciences to clinical applications. Foundational disciplines such as virology, immunology, and molecular biology lay the groundwork for vaccine creation, while recent innovations like messenger RNA (mRNA) technology and reverse vaccinology have transformed the field. Additionally, it highlights the role of pharmaceutical advancements in translating lab discoveries into clinical solutions. Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9, genome sequencing, monoclonal antibodies, and computational modeling have significantly enhanced vaccine precision and efficacy, expediting the development of vaccines against infectious diseases. The review also discusses challenges that continue to hinder progress, including stringent regulatory pathways, vaccine hesitancy, and the rapid emergence of new pathogens. These obstacles underscore the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and the adoption of innovative strategies. Integrating personalized medicine, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence is expected to revolutionize vaccine science further. By embracing these advancements, biomedical research has the potential to overcome existing challenges and usher in a new era of therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines, ultimately improving global health outcomes. This review emphasizes the critical role of vaccines in combating current and future health threats, advocating for continued investment in biomedical science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tools for predicting COVID-19 outcomes enable personalized healthcare, potentially easing the disease burden. This collaborative study by 15 institutions across Europe aimed to develop a machine learning model for predicting the risk of in-hospital mortality post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. Blood samples and clinical data from 1286 COVID-19 patients collected from 2020 to 2023 across four cohorts in Europe and Canada were analyzed, with 2906 long non-coding RNAs profiled using targeted sequencing. From a discovery cohort combining three European cohorts and 804 patients, age and the long non-coding RNA LEF1-AS1 were identified as predictive features, yielding an AUC of 0.83 (95% CI 0.82–0.84) and a balanced accuracy of 0.78 (95% CI 0.77–0.79) with a feedforward neural network classifier. Validation in an independent Canadian cohort of 482 patients showed consistent performance. Cox regression analysis indicated that higher levels of LEF1-AS1 correlated with reduced mortality risk (age-adjusted hazard ratio 0.54, 95% CI 0.40–0.74). Quantitative PCR validated LEF1-AS1’s adaptability to be measured in hospital settings. Here, we demonstrate a promising predictive model for enhancing COVID-19 patient management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seemingly simple modular technology for making new mRNA vaccines could make vaccine developers a victim of their own success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's approval of a nucleic acid vaccine hints at a solution for low-income nations—if the limitations of current delivery technology can be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hundreds of scientists had worked on mRNA vaccines for decades before the coronavirus pandemic brought a breakthrough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug trial results show that vaccines aren’t the only use for the mRNA technology behind the most widely used COVID-19 jabs.Drug trial results show that vaccines aren't the only use for the mRNA technology behind the most widely used COVID-19 jabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack or dysfunction of the lymphatics leads to secondary lymphedema formation that seriously reduces the function of the affected organs and results in degradation of quality of life. Currently, there is no definitive treatment option for lymphedema. Here, we utilized nucleoside-modified mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) encoding murine Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (VEGFC) to stimulate lymphatic growth and function and reduce experimental lymphedema in mouse models. We demonstrated that administration of a single low-dose of VEGFC mRNA-LNPs induced durable, organ-specific lymphatic growth and formation of a functional lymphatic network. Importantly, VEGFC mRNA-LNP treatment reversed experimental lymphedema by restoring lymphatic function without inducing any obvious adverse events. Collectively, we present a novel application of the nucleoside-modified mRNA-LNP platform, describe a model for identifying the organ-specific physiological and pathophysiological roles of the lymphatics, and propose an efficient and safe treatment option that may serve as a novel therapeutic tool to reduce lymphedema. Dysfunction of the lymphatic system leads to secondary lymphedema and results in degradation of quality of life. Here, the authors show that delivery of nucleoside-modified Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (VEGFC) mRNA, encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles, induces organ-specific lymphatic growth and reverses experimental lymphedema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-03102-w [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective vaccine is needed to halt the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Recently, we reported safety, tolerability and antibody response data from an ongoing placebo-controlled, observer-blinded phase I/II coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine trial with BNT162b1, a lipid nanoparticle-formulated nucleoside-modified mRNA that encodes the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein1. Here we present antibody and T cell responses after vaccination with BNT162b1 from a second, non-randomized open-label phase I/II trial in healthy adults, 18–55 years of age. Two doses of 1–50 μg of BNT162b1 elicited robust CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses and strong antibody responses, with RBD-binding IgG concentrations clearly above those seen in serum from a cohort of individuals who had recovered from COVID-19. Geometric mean titres of SARS-CoV-2 serum-neutralizing antibodies on day 43 were 0.7-fold (1-μg dose) to 3.5-fold (50-μg dose) those of the recovered individuals. Immune sera broadly neutralized pseudoviruses with diverse SARS-CoV-2 spike variants. Most participants had T helper type 1 (TH1)-skewed T cell immune responses with RBD-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cell expansion. Interferon-γ was produced by a large fraction of RBD-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. The robust RBD-specific antibody, T cell and favourable cytokine responses induced by the BNT162b1 mRNA vaccine suggest that it has the potential to protect against COVID-19 through multiple beneficial mechanisms. In a phase I/II dose-escalation clinical trial, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b1 elicits specific T cell and antibody responses that suggest it has protective potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biggest defender of ‘unmodified’ mRNA for vaccines against infectious disease has a change of heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two books follow key runners in the historic race to immunize the world against COVID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DeepMind’s system for predicting the 3D structure of proteins is among five recipients of science’s most lucrative awards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our new podcast series 'Hope Lies in Dreams' highlights the importance of visionaries in shepherding drugs through the setbacks of drug development to commercial success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the success of the start-up biotechnology company Moderna Therapeutics of Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2015. Topics discussed include the attraction of investors to the company's mRNA technology, total spendings of the company on research and development, and details of its fundraising efforts. The history of the company is also explored.

The latest science news, in brief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency Use Authorizations for two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines represent a turning point in the pandemic. They also herald a new era for vaccinology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]