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Daily Mains Question - GS 3 - 21st August 2025

  • Writer: TPP
    TPP
  • Aug 21
  • 3 min read
Daily Mains Question - GS 3 - 21st August 2025

Welcome to your Daily UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice – GS Paper 3 (Science & Technology & Health). Today’s discussion explores the transformative potential of mRNA vaccine technology beyond COVID-19, with a particular focus on how it is reshaping global strategies for emerging infectious diseases, cancer therapy, and genetic disorder management. First deployed at scale during the pandemic, mRNA platforms have since evolved into a versatile, fast-adapting, and customizable tool in modern medicine.

For UPSC aspirants, this topic is highly relevant under GS Paper 3 themes:

  • Developments in Science and Technology and their Applications

  • Biotechnology and Health Sector Innovations

  • Disaster and Pandemic Preparedness

  • Public Health Infrastructure and Atmanirbhar Bharat in Biotech

As India invests in vaccine self-reliance and global public health leadership, mRNA’s scalable and programmable nature positions it as a critical solution for future epidemics and non-communicable disease management alike. Understanding this evolution will allow aspirants to write futuristic, innovation-led answers in both GS Paper 3 and Essay papers.

Click Here to read the Monthly Current Affairs Pointers (CAP).

QUESTION

Evaluate the transformative potential of mRNA vaccine technology in combating emerging infectious diseases and its broader applications in public health.

Answer: The development of mRNA vaccine technology during the COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point in modern biomedical science. Unlike conventional vaccines, which use weakened or inactivated pathogens, mRNA vaccines deliver genetic instructions to human cells to produce specific antigenic proteins, thereby triggering an immune response.

This platform demonstrated unprecedented speed, adaptability, and efficacy, leading to interest in deploying it across emerging infectious diseases and other critical health challenges.

 

mRNA Technology and Its Relevance to Emerging Infectious Diseases

1. Rapid Response to New Pathogens

  • mRNA vaccines can be developed within weeks once the genetic sequence of a virus is available.

  • Example: The first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine prototype was created within 48 hours of sequencing the SARS-CoV-2 virus.


2. Adaptability to Virus Mutations

  • Platform allows quick modifications to counter virus variants.

  • Particularly useful for mutating pathogens like influenza, Zika, and coronaviruses.


3. Preparedness for Future Pandemics

  • mRNA provides a plug-and-play vaccine development model for future zoonotic spillovers and global health emergencies.

  • Supported by initiatives like WHO’s mRNA tech-transfer hub in South Africa.


4. Targeting Neglected Tropical & Endemic Diseases

  • Ongoing research into mRNA vaccines for dengue, malaria, rabies, tuberculosis, and chikungunya.

  • Essential for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) facing high disease burden but poor vaccine availability.


5. Multivalent and Combination Vaccines

  • Single mRNA formulations can target multiple strains or diseases simultaneously.

  • Potential for universal flu vaccines or combo vaccines for co-endemic infections.

 

Beyond Infectious Diseases: Expanding the mRNA Horizon

1. Cancer Therapeutics

  • Personalized mRNA cancer vaccines train the immune system to attack tumor-specific neoantigens.

  • Trials underway for melanoma, colorectal, pancreatic, and lung cancers.


2. Genetic Disorder Management

  • mRNA enables temporary expression of deficient proteins.

  • Potential treatment pathways for cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, and enzyme-related deficiencies.


3. Autoimmune Diseases

  • Emerging mRNA approaches aim to "re-educate" immune cells to stop attacking the body’s own tissues.

  • Applications in type-1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis under study.


4. Protein Replacement Therapies

  • Safer alternative to gene editing techniques for producing missing or defective proteins.

  • Could benefit conditions like hemophilia or muscular dystrophies.

 

 Recent Advances Enhancing mRNA Utility

  • Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) carriers ensure effective delivery into host cells.

  • Thermostable mRNA formulations reduce cold chain dependency.

  • Self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) enables lower dosage and stronger immune response.

  • AI-integrated mRNA design platforms reduce pre-clinical time.

 

mRNA technology represents a foundational shift in vaccine science and therapeutic innovation. Its speed, flexibility, and scalability make it an ideal solution for emerging infectious diseases as well as chronic, genetic, and oncological conditions. As global health transitions toward preventive and personalized care, mRNA is poised to become a cornerstone of 21st-century public health infrastructure.


To realize its full potential, India must invest in mRNA R&D, local manufacturing capacity, and policy frameworks for equitable access, thereby strengthening biosecurity, pandemic resilience, and Atmanirbhar Bharat in health technology.

 

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