Question

investigate how the new Pfiser COVID-19 vaccine might work to stimulate the immune system. Discuss how the mRNA based vaccine strategy may effectively induce BOTH a humoral and cellular immune response and talk about the key players. You'll need to take some time to learn a bit more about the vaccine if you're unfamiliar with the mRNA based approach before answering this question.

Answer 1

PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE;

1. Researchers and scientists globally are working to develop a potential vaccine to prevent COVID-19. Different groups are using various methods/ technologies to design possible COVID'19 vaccines.

Pfizer and BioNTech are focusing on a technology called mRNA. The program includes four experimental vaccines in different mRNA formats. These four candidates were selected based on pre-clinical studies, which indicated the vaccine candidates are potentially effective and safe in protecting against COVID-19.

Any successful vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against a specific foreign body, so that after getting vaccinated, a person develops immunity to a specific infection.

2. how the mRNA based vaccine strategy may effectively induce BOTH a humoral and cellular immune response:

A.mRNA vaccines potentially offer greater flexibility and quicker development timelines than traditional vaccines development.     

B. New vaccination principle against COVID-19,

self-replicating noninfectious RNA vaccine that produces subviral particles, has recently been introduced. In this study, we evaluated the potential of the self-replicating RNA vaccine in mice in comparison to those of live, attenuated vaccines and a formalin-inactivated whole-virus vaccine (ImmunInject). For this purpose, mice were immunized using gene gun-mediated application of the RNA vaccine and tested for CD8+ T-cell responses, long-term duration, neutralizing capacity, and isotype profile of specific antibodies and protection against lethal virus challenge. We demonstrate that the self-replicating RNA vaccine induced a broad-based, humoral and cellular (Th1 and CD8+ T-cell response) immune response comparable to that induced by live vaccines and that it protected mice from challenge.

The key players are TH1 and CD8+ .

exactly do mRNA vaccines work?  

mRNA – or messenger RNA – is a molecule, composed of nucleotides linked in a unique order to convey genetic information for the cells to produce the proteins or antigens encoded by the mRNA. Once mRNA in a vaccine is inside of the body’s cells, the cells use their genetic machinery to translate the genetic information and produce the antigens encoded by the mRNA vaccine. The antigens are then displayed on the cell surface, where they are recognized by the immune system which generates a response, including the production of antibodies against the antigen.⁴