The Quest for a cure: adventures in future medicine

mRNA, a molecule in the middle of DNA and protein, can be used as vaccines and therapeutics for a variety of diseases such as Covid-19, HIV and cancers. Scientists such as Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman (Nobel prize winner for the development of effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19) have laid solid foundation for this technology to shine. In this talk, I will be discussing the history, mechanism, advantages, the present and the future of mRNA technology, and share our research in the bioprocessing development for manufacturing mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics.

What does cancer and the city of Troy have in common? Tumours have many strategies to survive attacks from our bodies. Cancer-killing viruses show promise for attacking tumours but are often stopped before they can reach the battlefront. The solution? Follow the example of the Greek warriors and sneak in under cover. We will explore how using immune cells as Trojan Horses offers a promising solution to getting viruses into tumours and overcoming the siege once and for all.

Personalised medicine aims to offer treatments tailored to an individual and their disease. However, there are barriers to providing personalised medicine on a large scale. This talk explores the Ex VIvo DEtermiNed Cancer Therapy (EVIDENT) trial, run at the University of Sheffield, and how the team is transforming personalised cancer care from a small-scale, predominantly research based technology, to a robust and validated clinical tool.