3 ms·

Isn't "the mRNA technology" decades old at this point? Yes, this might be the first wide spread human deployment, but they've been researching the technique in

Isn't "the mRNA technology" decades old at this point? Yes, this might be the first wide spread human deployment, but they've been researching the technique in animals for over thirty years. What's the bar for when a technology is no longer "new"?

symlinkk 5y ago
You’re joking right? This reads like a parody
- Pfhreak 5y ago
  No? The first mRNA tests were conducted in 1990 in mice -- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1690918/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1690918/ We figured out the basics in 2005, specifically two scientists Karikó and Weissman. A decade ago there were discussions about how to develop more complex vaccines -- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/rna.22269 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/rna.22269 Given the immense potential to address everything from parasites (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6963228/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6963228/) to cancer (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28101688/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28101688/) to allergies (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30063806/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30063806/), tons of research is being done on this technology. Scientists have been working on and reporting on dosing strategies, managing immune responses, monitoring long term effects on animals, etc. for a long time now. Which part is parody? Just because something is new to you doesn't mean it's new.
  - symlinkk 5y ago
    I mean you literally typed “yeah it’s only been widely tested in animals and this is the first large scale human application of it, why are people thinking this is new?”
    - Pfhreak 5y ago
      Sure, if you want to get into a semantic argument. The point is that the mechanism isn't complex, there is decades of research and multiple studies showing us it's likely safe, and still people are out here saying things like, "It's totally untested!" Like, at some point we have to trust science and accept that studies and test groups will give us some reliable safety guesses. People generally have no idea how much research has already gone into this vaccine because they've been taken in by all the media coverage around the mRNA vaccines claiming the technology is new. Let me try explaining via an analogy. It's like the folks who are really worried about 5G signals because they are new. On the one hand, yes, humankind has not had long term exposure to 5G signals. On the other hand science has a fairly complete understanding of various electromagnetic spectrums and is the phenomena of using electromagnetic phenomena is hardly new. So yes, mRNA vaccines are 'new', but only in the way 5G is 'new'. We may not have deployed it widely before, but we're pretty dang sure we understand it.
xwolfi 5y ago
Come on, I did it last week but after weeks of hesitancy between mrna and the chinese deactivated alternative (I live in China). Im a scientific, rational, atheist moderate person, I fight all day long against idiots spouting conspiracy theories, but still. This vaccine is the first time I get an mrna vaccine, and I just have this one life. I understand why vaccination is important but in a world where people lie and cheat, I have only one shot. Be nice about it. This is new.

symlinkk 5y ago

You’re joking right? This reads like a parody

Pfhreak 5y ago
No? The first mRNA tests were conducted in 1990 in mice -- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1690918/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1690918/ We figured out the basics in 2005, specifically two scientists Karikó and Weissman. A decade ago there were discussions about how to develop more complex vaccines -- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/rna.22269 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/rna.22269 Given the immense potential to address everything from parasites (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6963228/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6963228/) to cancer (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28101688/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28101688/) to allergies (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30063806/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30063806/), tons of research is being done on this technology. Scientists have been working on and reporting on dosing strategies, managing immune responses, monitoring long term effects on animals, etc. for a long time now. Which part is parody? Just because something is new to you doesn't mean it's new.
- symlinkk 5y ago
  I mean you literally typed “yeah it’s only been widely tested in animals and this is the first large scale human application of it, why are people thinking this is new?”
  - Pfhreak 5y ago
    Sure, if you want to get into a semantic argument. The point is that the mechanism isn't complex, there is decades of research and multiple studies showing us it's likely safe, and still people are out here saying things like, "It's totally untested!" Like, at some point we have to trust science and accept that studies and test groups will give us some reliable safety guesses. People generally have no idea how much research has already gone into this vaccine because they've been taken in by all the media coverage around the mRNA vaccines claiming the technology is new. Let me try explaining via an analogy. It's like the folks who are really worried about 5G signals because they are new. On the one hand, yes, humankind has not had long term exposure to 5G signals. On the other hand science has a fairly complete understanding of various electromagnetic spectrums and is the phenomena of using electromagnetic phenomena is hardly new. So yes, mRNA vaccines are 'new', but only in the way 5G is 'new'. We may not have deployed it widely before, but we're pretty dang sure we understand it.

xwolfi 5y ago

Come on, I did it last week but after weeks of hesitancy between mrna and the chinese deactivated alternative (I live in China). Im a scientific, rational, atheist moderate person, I fight all day long against idiots spouting conspiracy theories, but still. This vaccine is the first time I get an mrna vaccine, and I just have this one life. I understand why vaccination is important but in a world where people lie and cheat, I have only one shot. Be nice about it. This is new.