DNA Vaccines
A number of experimental coronavirus vaccines don’t deliver whole viruses. Instead, they deliver genetic instructions for building a viral protein. The protein can then stimulate the immune system to make antibodies and help mount other defenses against the coronavirus.
One of these genetic approaches is known as a DNA vaccine. A circle of engineered DNA is delivered into cells. The cells read the viral gene, make a copy in a molecule called messenger RNA, and then use the mRNA to assemble viral proteins. The immune system detects the proteins and mounts defenses.
Prototype DNA vaccines based on the spike protein protected monkeys from the coronavirus.
EXAMPLES: DNA vaccines have been approved for veterinary cases such as canine melanoma and West Nile virus in horses. There are no approved DNA vaccines for use in humans, but researchers are running trials to see if they might be effective for diseases such as Zika and the flu.
COMPANIES: Inovio and others.
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RNA
RNA Vaccines
Some researchers want to skip DNA and instead deliver messenger RNA into cells. The cells read the mRNA and make spike proteins that provoke an immune response.
The biotech company Moderna recently completed a small safety trial with eight volunteers that showed promising early results against the coronavirus.
Both RNA and DNA vaccines can be produced more quickly than traditional methods.
EXAMPLES: There are no approved RNA vaccines, but they are in clinical trials for MERS and other diseases.
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