Question

1. Form a Hypothesis Would this therapy work if mRNA were replaced with other types of

RNA, such as ribosomal RNA (rRNA) or transfer RNA (tRNA)? Use evidence to support
your hypothesis.
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2. Evaluate a Solution What are the advantages of using mRNA, rather than DNA, for
directing the synthesis of the drug? (HINT: Remember the role of regulating gene
expression in the cell.)
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3. Develop Models Review the steps of administering an mRNA drug. Add illustrations to
the figure to model the processes that are occuring inside the cell with the mRNA drug.
Either draw the illustrations by hand or copy diagrams from the chapter.
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4. Use Models Use your model to compare the administration of an mRNA drug to the
protein synthesis that the cell normally performs.
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5. Conduct Research Use an online search engine to research more information about
mRNA drugs, their uses, and their development. Be sure to take notes and to cite your sources.

The text: What happens when you take a conventional drug, such as aspirin or penicillin? The drug
travels through the blood stream, and then is absorbed by body cells or (as with penicillin)
by the cells of bacteria or other invaders. The drug does its work, but eventually it goes
away. Enzymes and other mechanisms break apart drugs and remove them from the body.
Today, researchers are trying to develop drugs in a very different way. The new drugs are a
modified form of messenger RNA (mRNA). Instead of directly completing the tasks of the
drug, the modified mRNA enters the cell and directs protein synthesis. Then the protein
takes action as a drug or medicine. The protein might be a vaccine or antibody, or it might
be an enzyme that the body cannot make or that it needs in an increased supply.
To develop mRNA drugs, researchers had to find a way to make the molecules last longer
in the body than they generally do. They also needed to "trick" the target cell into
recognizing and accepting the drug. Otherwise, the cell might attack the drug as if it were
a virus.
Researchers met both challenges with the same solution. The drug is not quite the same as
the natural mRNA found in cells. Instead, it uses a few nucleotides that are slightly
different from the normal nucleotides found in RNA. The modifications make the mRNA
both more stable and less virus like.

Answer 1

Therapies using mRNA are distinct because mRNA carries genetic information for protein synthesis, which rRNA and tRNA cannot replace. mRNA is preferable in drug synthesis due to its ability to produce proteins transiently and without changing the host's DNA. Understanding the mRNA mechanism is crucial for the development of novel mRNA drugs, highlighting its importance in modern medicinal practices.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding mRNA Therapy Involving RNA Types

The hypothesis regarding whether therapies involving mRNA could work with other types of RNA, such as ribosomal RNA (rRNA) or transfer RNA (tRNA), is contingent upon the distinct functions of each RNA type. mRNA's role is to carry genetic information from DNA and direct protein synthesis, whereas rRNA is part of the ribosome's structure and tRNA is involved in transferring amino acids during protein synthesis. Therefore, replacing mRNA with rRNA or tRNA in therapy is not feasible as they do not carry genetic information to synthesize proteins.

Advantages of mRNA in Drug Synthesis

Using mRNA in directing the synthesis of drugs offers several advantages over DNA. mRNA therapies enable a quick onset of protein production, bypass any risk of integrating into the host genome (unlike DNA), and have control over gene expression without altering the cell's DNA. Additionally, mRNA's transient nature in the cell ensures that protein synthesis is conducted only when needed, avoiding the potential for continual, unregulated synthesis which could occur with DNA.

Administering mRNA Drugs

The administration of an mRNA drug involves introducing synthetic mRNA into the cell, which then uses the cell's own machinery to translate the mRNA into the desired protein. This process can be visualized by comparing it to the cell's normal pathway of protein synthesis, in which endogenous mRNA synthesized during transcription is used by ribosomes to build proteins needed by the cell.

Implications for mRNA Drug Development

Research in mRNA drugs and their development shows promise in modern medicine. Their mechanism includes being taken up by target cells and directing protein synthesis on site, which allows for the production of therapeutic proteins such as vaccines, antibodies, and enzymes without the use of traditional drugs which degrade over time. The development of mRNA drugs also requires careful modulation of the mRNA molecule to increase stability and encourage cellular uptake.

Answer 2

The text describes the development of mRNA drugs and how they differ from conventional drugs. mRNA drugs work by directing protein synthesis inside the cells, and the protein produced by the cell acts as the drug. To develop mRNA drugs, researchers had to find a way to make the molecules last longer in the body and to avoid the cell recognizing the drug as a virus. The solution was to modify the mRNA so that it is different from the natural mRNA found in cells, making it more stable and less virus-like. The text does not directly address the hypothesis about whether mRNA can be replaced with other types of RNA for the therapy to work. However, it does suggest that the modifications to the mRNA are key to the drug's effectiveness and stability.