Article

COVID-19 vaccines: factors contributing to a ‘fast-track’ development

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Domenica Sardone, Regulatory Program Associate Director, Roche Ltd. The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded a new global approach to vaccine development. There has been unprecedented international attention, cooperation and especially use of resources, enabling pharmaceutical companies and governmental bodies to act at speed in the interest of public health. During this challenging times and considering the … Read more

Bioethics and Genetic Modification: Back to Gattaca

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Alexandre Bretel In the common imaginary, genetic modifications belong above all to the field of science fiction. But some techniques have already been in use for several decades, and new ones raise unprecedented ethical questions. The CRISPR-Cas9 technique thus allows very precise modifications to be made to the genome, which would make it possible to … Read more

Are gene-based vaccines the future of immunisation?

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Traditional or conventional vaccines exploit two approaches: either the introduction of live attenuated infectious agents that replicate within the host without causing disease or the introduction of specific antigens that trigger an immune response. Recently, a revolutionary strategy based on gene-based vaccines −either DNA- or RNA-based− has been proposed. This strategy involves the direct introduction of a DNA or RNA sequence encoding the antigen or antigens against which an immune response is sought, and relies on the in situ production of the target antigen (1). This means that the cell’s machinery uses the instructions contained in the introduced genetic material to make virus antigens that the immune system reacts to.

SDGs and the future of the YEBN

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The UN has launched a project, the Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs), in order to “achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. They are a blueprint, a map for the future for governments, companies, individuals and associations like the YEBN for a better future for all. They focus on many working lines that … Read more