Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded molecule of RNA that corresponds to the genetic sequence of a gene, and is read by a ribosome in the process of synthesizing a protein. It serves as a genetic blueprint, carrying instructions from DNA in the cell's nucleus to the protein-making machinery in the cytoplasm. In medicine, mRNA technology is used to instruct cells to produce a protein that triggers an immune response, preventing or treating disease.
mRNA was discovered in 1961 by Sydney Brenner, François Jacob, and Matthew Meselson. For decades, it was primarily a subject of basic biological research. The concept of using mRNA as a therapeutic agent emerged in the 1990s, but instability and delivery challenges hindered progress. Major breakthroughs in the 2000s and 2010s by researchers like Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman (who modified mRNA to suppress immune reactions) paved the way for clinical applications.
The technology gained global prominence with the rapid development and deployment of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) in 2020. This success has accelerated research into mRNA therapies for a wide range of conditions, including cancer (cancer vaccines), autoimmune diseases, and rare genetic disorders. It represents a new era in medicine where the body is instructed to manufacture its own medicine.