Scientists at the University of Florida have developed a promising mRNA vaccine that could fight cancer without chemo, surgery, or radiation. It trains the immune system to detect and destroy tumors, even when other treatments fail. This vaccine boosts early immune signals called type-I interferons, acting like alarm bells in the body. These signals also trigger “epitope spreading,” allowing the immune system to attack multiple parts of a tumor at once for a stronger response. The vaccine doesn’

Animation showing how the mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 works. The new vaccine, BNT162b2, has been developed by Pfizer/BioNTech. It uses a strand of messenger RNA genetic material (blue) based on that in the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. This is injected into the body encased in lipid nanoparticles, which allow it to be taken up by the body's cells. The mRNA is read by the cells, causing them to produce a mutated version of the viral spike protein (pink). The mutation has been designed