Cancer Is Next Target for mRNA Vaccine Technology

Ozlem Tureci started the German drug company BioNTech with her husband Ugur Sahin in 2008.

The two are now known for doing important work on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine¹ against the coronavirus. But they started their company to work on a cure for cancer. In fact, the doctors started a different company about 20 years ago to work on cancer drugs. They sold that company for about $1 billion in 2016.

BioNTech was looking for a way to cause the body's immune system to fight tumors with a technology called messenger RNA, or mRNA.

In early 2020, Tureci and Sahin heard about a new virus that was infecting people in China. They thought they could find a way to use their technology to fight it. They had already been working with Pfizer on a new influenza³ vaccine. They created a new project, to find a vaccine for the new coronavirus, and called it "Project Lightspeed."

Within 11 months, Britain approved use of the coronavirus vaccine they developed working with Pfizer. One week later, the U.S. approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use. Now, tens of millions of people around the world have received their vaccine.

Tureci said she was not worried about finding a way to make a coronavirus vaccine. Instead, she was worried about how her small company would create enough of the vaccine for all who would need it.

Pfizer and BioNTech worked with a Chinese company called Fosun Pharma to increase their ability to produce the vaccine.

"It pays off to make bold decisions and to trust that if you have an extraordinary team, you will be able to solve any problem and obstacle which comes your way in real time," Tureci told the Associated Press. She said working together with international companies was important to their success.

Future of mRNA

The vaccines⁴ from Moderna and AstraZeneca also use mRNA technology. Treatments of this kind use mRNA to carry instructions that tell the body to make proteins that attack viruses. Tureci and Sahin said they think they can do the same thing for cancer tumors.

"We have several different cancer vaccines based on mRNA," Tureci said.

She said she thinks BioNTech will develop its cancer drugs so they can be offered to people within a few years. Right now, however, the company is continuing to work to be sure it can fulfill⁵ coronavirus vaccine orders and deal with variants⁷ of the virus.

Tureci said people should trust that all of the vaccines are safe for people to use. She said the vaccines were developed quickly, but still observed "a very rigid⁸ process."

She said officials around the world are paying careful attention to how people react to the vaccines from BioNTech and other drug companies.

National Honor

Germany recognized what its two citizens did for the world in developing a successful vaccine. Tureci and Sahin received the Order of Merit on March 19. It is one of Germany's highest honors. Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented the award while Chancellor⁹ Angela Merkel attended.

Tureci said she was pleased to be recognized. But she said many people deserve credit for helping¹⁰ with the vaccine.

"It's about the effort of many," she said. "The way we see it, this is an acknowledgment of this effort and also a celebration of science."

Words in This Story

immune system –n. the system that protects your body from diseases and infections

tumor² –n. a mass of tissue found in or on the body that is made up of abnormal cells

bold –adj. not afraid of danger or difficult situations

extraordinary –adj. extremely good or impressive

obstacle –n. a problem that makes it difficult to reach a goal; a barrier

variant⁶ –n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind

rigid –adj. unwilling¹¹ to lower requirements or compromise quality

credit –n. praise or special attention that is given to someone for doing something or for making something happen

acknowledge –n. the act of showing that you know, admit, or accept that something exists or is true

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

3 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

4 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

5 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

6 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

7 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

8 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

9 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。