A question that comes up a lot about mRNA vaccines is what happens at the cellular level after you’re injected with one. The mechanism of any such vaccine is to cause cells to produce a viral protein antigen, but which cells actually do this? It’s also understood that mRNA vaccines tend to act as their own adjuvant and stimulate a further immune response that improves their efficacy – but how does that happen as well?
Excellent article. I learned quite a few new things, such as the lipid nanoparticles being adjuvants all on their own. My dry sense of humor appreciated this section: