Are mRNA Vaccines Gene Therapy?
Key takeaways:
The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use a technology called messenger RNA (mRNA). The mRNA instructs your cells to make part of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Gene therapy treats medical conditions by modifying your genes. This involves introducing, replacing, or inactivating genes in your body.
The mRNA in vaccines don’t interact with, or change, your genes in any way. So, they aren’t considered gene therapy.
During a pandemic, vaccines are one of the most effective tools at our disposal for preventing hospitalization and death. The COVID-19 vaccines have been no exception. The first two were authorized in December 2020 and use a technology called messenger RNA (mRNA). This was the first time mRNA technology was authorized for use in people.
Although mRNA vaccines seem new, they’ve been researched for decades. But since they work differently from traditional vaccines, it may not be easy to understand how they really work.
For example, you may have heard that mRNA vaccines can alter your genes. While there are therapies that can do this, mRNA vaccines aren’t one of them. Keep reading to learn more about how mRNA vaccines work and why they aren’t considered gene therapy.
What is gene therapy?
First, let’s start by talking about gene therapy. Gene therapy is a growing area of medicine that's still being studied by health experts. It involves adding, substituting, or inactivating certain genes in your body. This is done in an effort to treat or cure genetic or inherited medical conditions.
For example, there may be disease-causing genes in your body. Gene therapy can use different methods to deliver therapeutic genes to your cells. These therapeutic genes can replace, alter, or influence the disease-causing ones.
Gene therapy is being researched for numerous uses. These include fighting cancer and treating genetic and inherited diseases. Several gene therapy medications have already been approved by the FDA. Examples include Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl) for a certain type of inherited vision loss and Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) for leukemia and lymphoma.
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While gene therapy holds promise, it still has risks. So, it’s only being studied for conditions that don’t have a cure. That’s because researchers are still determining if it’s generally safe and effective.
What is mRNA?
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a molecule that contains unique instructions that tell your cells how to make proteins. It’s made after RNA in a cell’s nucleus receives blueprints from your DNA about how to make these proteins. The mRNA leaves the nucleus to deliver the instructions to protein-making sites called ribosomes in the cell.
Proteins are essential to proper structure and function of the human body. Every day, proteins are made in your body by assembling “building blocks” called amino acids. The mRNA tells your cells the proper order for putting together amino acids to make a specific protein.
After the mRNA delivers these instructions, it’s broken down by your body. This is to prevent your cells from continuing to make the protein.
Does mRNA change your DNA?
No, mRNA doesn’t change your DNA.
In fact, mRNA doesn’t interact with your DNA at all. As described above, mRNA leaves the nucleus where DNA is located to deliver its instructions to ribosomes in the cell.
How do mRNA vaccines work?
Many vaccines today contain whole or part of a harmless bacteria or virus. This helps teach your immune system to recognize and attack it if you’re exposed in the future. But, mRNA vaccines contain mRNA, not bacteria or viruses. As described above, mRNA are instructions.
The mRNA in vaccines that prevent infections also carry unique instructions. These instructions are for a unique part of a germ (called an antigen). The mRNA enters your cells and delivers these instructions to ribosomes. Your cells start making the antigen, which triggers an immune response against it. This helps your immune system recognize and fight the germ in the future.
But your cells don’t keep making the antigen forever. After the mRNA delivers its message, your body breaks it down and removes it.
The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are just two examples of mRNA vaccines. They contain the instructions for part of the coronavirus, called the spike protein. The spike protein is how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, enters and infects your cells.
There are several other mRNA vaccines being studied, including those to prevent the flu. The mRNA in these vaccines would carry instructions for part of the flu virus.
Are mRNA vaccines gene therapy?
No, mRNA vaccines aren’t gene therapy. That’s because mRNA vaccines don’t modify your genes in any way.
Genes are made up of DNA. As described above, the mRNA made by your body doesn’t interact with your DNA to influence your genes. The same goes for the mRNA in vaccines. And since the vaccine mRNA already has its instructions, it never enters the nucleus at all.
Are mRNA vaccines safe?
Yes, mRNA vaccines are considered safe. They’re held to the same rigorous testing standards as other vaccine types. These standards require large clinical trials to prove that they’re safe and effective before they can be used by the general public.
You may feel under the weather for a few days after getting your COVID-19 vaccine shot. That’s because your immune system is mounting a response against the spike protein that your cells made. And although rare, some people experience more serious side effects. But for most people, the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risks of the vaccine.
The bottom line
Although mRNA vaccines work differently compared to other vaccines, they don’t modify or alter your genes or DNA in any way. They work by teaching your immune system how to recognize a virus. This helps your body recognize and attack it if you’re exposed in the future.
The COVID-19 vaccines were the first mRNA vaccines authorized for use in people. But there may be others available within the next few years. Talk with your healthcare provider if you have additional questions about mRNA vaccines.
Why trust our experts?
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines.
Food and Drug Administration. (2018). What is gene therapy?
National Human Genome Research Institute. (2018). Genetic disorders.
National Human Genome Research Institute. (n.d.). Messenger RNA (mRNA).
National Institute of Health. (n.d.). Messenger RNA (mRNA).
National Library of Medicine. (2021). What is a gene?
National Library of Medicine. (2021). What is gene therapy?
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021). Vaccine types.
Verbeke, R., et al. (2019). Three decades of messenger RNA vaccine development. Nano Today.
