Research summary
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a type of single-stranded RNA involved in protein synthesis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA vaccines played a critical role in the response to the virus. These vaccines work by introducing a piece of mRNA that corresponds to the viral protein. Dr. Anna Blakney, Canada Research Chair in Nucleic Acid Bioengineering, is engineering the next generation of RNA vaccines and therapies using self-amplifying RNA.
Self-amplifying RNA is advantageous because it enables the use of a much lower vaccine dose than mRNA and has a longer duration of protein expression (30 to 60 days compared to just three to five days for mRNA). Using state-of-the-art molecular engineering, delivery systems and clinically relevant preclinical models, she and her research team aim to uncover the innate immune mechanisms that affect the efficacy of RNA formulations.