A new study reveals mRNA vaccines generate immune responses through non-immune cells, such as muscle cells. This challenges the dogma that these vaccines must enter specialized immune cells to work.
Nature Biotechnology published the findings. The data shows mRNA technology uses various cells to initiate immune responses.
This discovery could lead to more effective therapies. It impacts hundreds of drugs currently in development.
Researchers state that muscle cells play a direct role in post-vaccination immunity. Dendritic immune cells remain important, but antigens transfer to them from other cells through a more complex activation pathway.