RNA Vaccines: Mechanism and Development

This lecture covers the mechanism of RNA vaccines, focusing on how they work to trigger an immune response in our bodies. It explains the process of packaging synthetic RNA in lipid nanoparticles to prevent degradation and enhance uptake. The safety, production speed, storage challenges, and differences between mRNA and self-amplifying RNA vaccines are discussed. The lecture also delves into the structures of mRNA and RNA, highlighting key distinctions. Furthermore, it explores the benefits of self-amplifying RNA vaccines in terms of cost-effectiveness and scalability. The acidity of various compounds is also examined, emphasizing the importance of resonance structures in determining acid strength. Through a series of examples, the lecture illustrates how resonance stabilization impacts the acidity of different molecules.