Interview with Professor Drew Wiseman
Laying the foundation for developing a coronavirus vaccine
2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winners
“For making mRNA vaccines,
It took 25 years, not 10 months.
“We must distinguish between unfounded ghost stories”
news/cms/202410/24/news-p.v1.20241023.5d1708f4dea246ee8831a0d585d5fbad_R.jpg" data-width="2835" data-height="1890" /> Enlarge photo Professor Drew Weissman, who visited Korea to attend the Korean Society of Immunology International Conference held at COEX in Seoul on the 23rd, is explaining the potential of mRNA research. [한주형 기자]
“After the coronavirus pandemic, governments around the world are only emphasizing wearing masks and washing hands, but are not preparing the next vaccine or treatment. We must provide full support and support to researchers in this field so that they do not lose their curiosity and perseverance.”
Professor Drew Wiseman, who visited Korea on the 23rd, urged government support and interest, saying that the scalability of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines is endless. He said, “After winning the Nobel Prize, research funding for mRNA vaccines has increased, but it is still insufficient. “If we are afraid of not knowing when and in what form the next pandemic will come, we must actively invest in researchers,” he emphasized.
Professor Wiseman, a leading American immunologist, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine last year for his research on the mRNA source technology that became the basis for the coronavirus vaccine. He currently serves as director of the RNA Innovation Research Center at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He visited Korea for the first time on this day to attend the ‘International Society of Cytokine Society (ICIS)/Korean Society of Immunology (KAI) 2024 International Conference’ held at COEX in Seoul.
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Professor Wiseman said, “We are developing an integrated vaccine that can prevent various infectious diseases such as influenza, bird flu, and swine flu at once. It costs a lot of money to realize this idea, but the problem is that funding is not well supported.” .
The biggest advantage of the mRNA vaccine he laid the foundation for is that it can be produced quickly. Professor Wiseman said, “During the coronavirus pandemic, mRNA vaccines were created the fastest among all vaccines,” adding, “This is because only the base sequence needs to be secured without the need to cultivate the virus.” He added, “Using mRNA technology, we can produce 1 billion doses of vaccine within a year, and it is a very good platform in terms of speed and efficacy.”
According to the Korean Society of Immunology, the global mRNA vaccine market size is expected to grow by 10% every year from $11.3 billion in 2022 to $27.7 billion in 2032. This is because ‘preventive medicine’ is attracting attention as various infectious diseases, cancer, and genetic diseases are rapidly increasing.
![At the 'International Society of Cytokines (ICIS)/Korean Society of Immunology (KAI) 2024 International Conference' held at COEX in Seoul on the 23rd, Professor Drew Weizmann of the University of Pennsylvania (Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine) of the Korean Society of Immunology spoke at a meeting. I am speaking. [한주형 기자]](https://i0.wp.com/pimg.mk.co.kr/news/cms/202410/24/news-p.v1.20241023.2004e68ccccd4fb594353b0c63304d7b_P1.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
news/cms/202410/24/news-p.v1.20241023.2004e68ccccd4fb594353b0c63304d7b_R.jpg" data-width="2835" data-height="1890" /> Enlarge photo Drew Weizman, professor at the University of Pennsylvania (Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine) at the Korean Society of Immunology (ICIS)/Korean Society of Immunology (KAI) 2024 International Conference held at COEX in Seoul on the 23rd The professor is speaking. [한주형 기자]
He said, “Currently, about 500 clinical trials are being conducted regarding mRNA vaccines,” and “It has already been approved for use against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza.” He then claimed, “The mRNA platform will show innovative results in diseases that existing vaccines have not been able to conquer, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C.”
The field where mRNA technology is receiving the most attention is cancer. Since cancer vaccines that have been developed previously are protein-based, they are inevitably tied to HLA (human leukocyte antigen). HLA is a type of vessel containing proteins, and it is difficult to guarantee the effectiveness of vaccination as it varies from person to person.
In contrast, mRNA vaccines are efficient in that they can induce an immune response in anyone as long as they have the genetic information in cancer cells. Professor Wiseman said, “Clinical trials for skin cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc. are in progress,” and “I believe that a cancer vaccine with low cost and groundbreaking efficacy will be released in the near future.”
Regarding the safety issues raised by some about the mRNA vaccine, he emphasized that it was at a sufficiently acceptable level. The explanation is that because the RNA that makes up the vaccine is the same as that found in our bodies, the possibility of unexpected side effects occurring is slim.
He said, “Any vaccine can cause an anaphylactic reaction, but 2 cases per 1 million were reported for mRNA vaccines and 1 to 4 cases per million for other vaccines.” He added, “In the case of myocarditis, it was found that about 1 in 100,000 people who received the mRNA vaccine developed it. “If you haven’t been vaccinated, your risk of developing myocarditis is 10 to 30 times higher,” he said. He continued, “What people need to know exactly is that it took 25 years, not 10 months, to create an mRNA vaccine,” and emphasized, “Scientific evidence and myths must be clearly distinguished.”
Professor Wiseman’s next goal is to establish mRNA vaccine production bases in low- and middle-income countries to prevent endemic diseases in each region. He said, “Together with the World Health Organization (WHO), we have created GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) facilities in 15 countries, including Brazil, Uganda, Egypt, Vietnam, and Ukraine,” and added, “We will help local researchers develop the vaccines and treatments they need.” “It will help you stay focused,” he said. He continued, “As a physician-scientist, I will faithfully serve as a link between basic scientists and clinicians and strive to create new treatments.”
■ Explanation of terms
▶ mRNA: It is a type of blueprint that shows the human body how to produce proteins. It transmits genetic information in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to cells and induces protein synthesis and antibody formation. The coronavirus vaccine created based on this is evaluated as playing a decisive role in quickly ending the pandemic.
