#197: mRNA & future of medicine
#UPSC Notes for GS3 S&T
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Everyday medicine is about to change Forever!
No, it is important not just for #UPSC
..but for next 50 years of your life! 😮
This is neither a drug nor is it a medicine
This is the story of mRNA
mRNA is a single-stranded-protein-synthesizing RNA
It carries protein from DNA to destination cell
What does mRNA actually do?🤔
m in mRNA is messenger!
Messenger of what?🤔
Messenger carrying code to make proteins
Messenger from whom?🤔
DNA!🧬
How does it function?
When cells are to create new protiens,
they don't seek code from DNA every time
Instead, a copy is created in mRNA which stays in the cell
Okay CSEWhy, how will these mRNAs change medicine?
For this, you need to go to basics
Understand these:
As mRNA protein formation is known to mankind,
In the lab, ANY protein can be
• created
• edited
Not just this, unlike the drugs,
the chemistry of one mRNA is same for all mRNAs😮
..this makes it scalable to make multiple mRNAs at once
All in all:
• It is scalable to make mRNAs
• It is easy to create, edit & reform mRNAs
• They can be personalized for individual needs
Best?😍
Body destroys mRNAs once their purpose is fulfilled!
But CSEWhy, I can't visualize this! Help me with an example, can you?
Oh damn! Absolutely😉
Go back to COVID19 vaccination booth
You get a shot in the arm?
It injects mRNAs in your body
mRNA teaches your body what to 'cook' to save you from corona
After a while, mRNA is 'deleted'
The story does not end here!!!!!!
A new variant? You get a new booster
What does booster do?
Same but for newer antibodies:
Teach -> Help create -> Get destroyed
Okay okay! Now I get a hang of it
But how is it going to 'personalize' medicine?
What are the other use cases?
This is where it gets interesting!
Think of cancer💡
• If you add mRNA to cancer vaccines,
body cells will be guided to make mutated cells
• These mutated cells will find their way to tumor site
BOOM! The immune attack thus 'blasts' the cancerous cells💥
Best? Side effects are lesser as mRNAs are eventually destroyed
Wow, that's a good analogy bro.
But is it not sounding too good to be true?
I mean, tell me the issues, will you?
You are on right page!😁
Biggest challenge is to find the right protein
Then comes the angle of cost!
(personalized medicine won't be cheap, you see?)
Alas! okay.
Where are we headed with mRNA vaccines?
They can prove beneficial in treatment of:
• heart & neuro diseases
• anemia with infusion of blood vessel producing mRNAs
Further, the potential to deal with Auto Immune Diseases (AIDs) is promising!
For those who don't know:
AIDs are where your body starts eliminating its own cells🥺
Eliminations are hard!
Even harder when you could have managed to learn something in time but chose not to!
How to not let this happen with your Current Affairs prep for #UPSC?
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