Clinical trial resultsThe Moderna vaccine (known as mRNA-1273) and the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine both use a novel mRNA approach.
Nanoparticles, or fat bubbles, deliver bits of viral genetic material that encode instructions for making the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which the new coronavirus uses to enter human cells.
When injected into a muscle, the cells produce the protein, triggering an immune response. The mRNA degrades quickly in the body and it does not interfere with human genes.
No mRNA vaccines have been previously approved by the FDA, but the platform has been in development for many years. Once Chinese researchers revealed the genetic sequence of the new virus in January, Moderna was able to produce a vaccine candidate within a.