![]() Gene therapy techniques provide incredible efficiencies, safety, and efficacy in comparison to the “old fashioned” approach. For example, the tuberculosis (TB) vaccine utilized in much of the world took 13 years to develop before it could be tested in clinical trials. However, enough organism must be grown to utilize for testing. The attenuated or weakened organism can then be tested as a vaccine strain. The microbe is grown for multiple generations outside of its natural host until random mutations cause it to lose the ability to cause disease in the natural host. Traditional vaccine development techniques involve culturing microorganisms in a lab. What has changed? Is this new approach used to develop COVID-19 vaccines safe? Genetic Engineering for Faster Development In 2020, gene therapy techniques shortened that development timeframe to mere weeks. ![]() ![]() ![]() In the past, it could take years to develop an investigational vaccine and several additional years for testing in clinical trials. But what about the safety of vaccines being developed and tested at warp speed?Ĭompared to the processes of 20 years ago, development of the current SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates has been remarkably swift thanks to genetic engineering and the additional resources afforded via Operation Warp Speed. A common trope in sci-fi movies involves concerns about potentially smashing into uncharted objects while traveling at warp speed or hyperspace. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |