Imagine dedicating your life to science, only to see your work undermined by conspiracy theories and political noise. Case in point: the Trump administration recently canceled over $766 million in federal funding allocated to Moderna to develop an mRNA-based H5N1 bird flu vaccine. Despite promising early results, the program was abruptly halted.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal critic of mRNA, cited concerns about safety and transparency. But public health experts have warned that this decision, driven more by ideology than data, undermines preparedness for future pandemics and politicizes scientific progress at a dangerous time.
This is not an isolated case. NIH officials advised academic researchers to remove references to mRNA vaccine technology from their grant applications. As a scientist and drug developer, I find this deeply disheartening. My colleagues, Nobel Laureates Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, were honored with the 2023 Nobel Prize for their groundbreaking work on mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. That same technology saved millions of lives, yet it’s now under attack.
Some claim mRNA poses long-term health risks, even links to cancer. These claims are not just unsubstantiated, they’re reckless. They erode public trust in science and endanger the future of life-saving innovation, especially in fields like oncology, where the need is urgent and growing.
Let’s be clear: we cannot allow conspiracy theories to dictate the future of medicine. Science is moving forward, and mRNA is at the forefront of that momentum. It’s not just a tool for infectious disease. It has the power to rewire how we approach cancer.
One of the most promising frontiers in mRNA-based immunotherapy is the ability to program myeloid cells, key players in the innate immune system, to fight cancer. Unlike T cells, which have shown success in blood cancers but often fall short in solid tumors, myeloid cells naturally infiltrate tumor sites. That makes them ideal delivery vehicles for anti-cancer instructions.
By reprogramming myeloid cells using mRNA, we can equip them to detect and kill cancer cells with unprecedented precision. This could transform the outlook for patients battling aggressive solid tumors, the most common and hardest-to-treat forms of cancer.
mRNA also makes a new generation of in vivo CAR therapies possible. Traditional CAR-T approaches require extracting a patient’s immune cells, modifying them in a lab, and reinfusing them, a costly and time-consuming process.
With mRNA, we can deliver genetic instructions directly into the body. This allows the immune system to produce CARs internally, eliminating complex manufacturing needs. The result? Faster, more scalable, and more affordable treatment options for patients who can’t afford to wait.
For too long, cancer immunotherapy has focused almost exclusively on T cells. It’s time to widen the lens. Myeloid cells play a critical role in the tumor microenvironment, and tapping into their potential with mRNA could unlock new therapeutic pathways. This isn’t just an incremental step. It’s a paradigm shift.
mRNA’s power lies in what it can do and how quickly it gets us there. Scientists can encode therapies as genetic instructions instead of spending years refining protein structures or chemical compounds. That means faster iteration, more precise targeting, and shorter timelines from discovery to clinical application.
It also means reduced cost. While traditional gene and cell therapies can cost millions per dose, mRNA platforms bring those costs down to the low thousands, opening the door to so many in need.
Public skepticism around safety is understandable. But researchers are already addressing key concerns like immune responses and delivery toxicity. Next-gen lipid nanoparticles, optimized mRNA sequences, and advanced tissue targeting strategies make treatments safer, more effective, and more practical for real-world use.
We also know mRNA is temporary. It doesn’t alter your DNA. That’s not just a safety advantage. It also gives us more flexibility to evolve and refine treatments as science advances.
There’s often an impulse to frame mRNA and CRISPR as rivals. They’re not. CRISPR permanently edits DNA, while mRNA delivers temporary instructions. Each has a role to play, and together, they give us an expanding toolkit to attack disease from multiple angles.
As someone who works at the intersection of research, regulation, and real-world treatment, I’ve seen how easily misinformation can sideline innovation. It’s not enough for scientists to publish data. We must also defend the data.
We need policymakers who fund research, not suppress it. We need doctors who speak with confidence about new therapies. And we need the public to understand that our progress in mRNA isn’t speculative. It’s real. It’s here. And it’s saving lives.
Daniel Getts, PhD, is a co-founder and CEO of Myeloid Therapeutics.
The post Data Over Doubt—The Scientific Case for mRNA in Cancer Care appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal critic of mRNA, cited concerns about safety and transparency. But public health experts have warned that this decision, driven more by ideology than data, undermines preparedness for future pandemics and politicizes scientific progress at a dangerous time.
This is not an isolated case. NIH officials advised academic researchers to remove references to mRNA vaccine technology from their grant applications. As a scientist and drug developer, I find this deeply disheartening. My colleagues, Nobel Laureates Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, were honored with the 2023 Nobel Prize for their groundbreaking work on mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. That same technology saved millions of lives, yet it’s now under attack.
Some claim mRNA poses long-term health risks, even links to cancer. These claims are not just unsubstantiated, they’re reckless. They erode public trust in science and endanger the future of life-saving innovation, especially in fields like oncology, where the need is urgent and growing.
Let’s be clear: we cannot allow conspiracy theories to dictate the future of medicine. Science is moving forward, and mRNA is at the forefront of that momentum. It’s not just a tool for infectious disease. It has the power to rewire how we approach cancer.
Reprogramming myeloid cells to target solid tumors
One of the most promising frontiers in mRNA-based immunotherapy is the ability to program myeloid cells, key players in the innate immune system, to fight cancer. Unlike T cells, which have shown success in blood cancers but often fall short in solid tumors, myeloid cells naturally infiltrate tumor sites. That makes them ideal delivery vehicles for anti-cancer instructions.
By reprogramming myeloid cells using mRNA, we can equip them to detect and kill cancer cells with unprecedented precision. This could transform the outlook for patients battling aggressive solid tumors, the most common and hardest-to-treat forms of cancer.
mRNA also makes a new generation of in vivo CAR therapies possible. Traditional CAR-T approaches require extracting a patient’s immune cells, modifying them in a lab, and reinfusing them, a costly and time-consuming process.
With mRNA, we can deliver genetic instructions directly into the body. This allows the immune system to produce CARs internally, eliminating complex manufacturing needs. The result? Faster, more scalable, and more affordable treatment options for patients who can’t afford to wait.
Beyond T-cell tunnel vision
For too long, cancer immunotherapy has focused almost exclusively on T cells. It’s time to widen the lens. Myeloid cells play a critical role in the tumor microenvironment, and tapping into their potential with mRNA could unlock new therapeutic pathways. This isn’t just an incremental step. It’s a paradigm shift.
mRNA’s power lies in what it can do and how quickly it gets us there. Scientists can encode therapies as genetic instructions instead of spending years refining protein structures or chemical compounds. That means faster iteration, more precise targeting, and shorter timelines from discovery to clinical application.
It also means reduced cost. While traditional gene and cell therapies can cost millions per dose, mRNA platforms bring those costs down to the low thousands, opening the door to so many in need.
Safety concerns are valid and solvable
Public skepticism around safety is understandable. But researchers are already addressing key concerns like immune responses and delivery toxicity. Next-gen lipid nanoparticles, optimized mRNA sequences, and advanced tissue targeting strategies make treatments safer, more effective, and more practical for real-world use.
We also know mRNA is temporary. It doesn’t alter your DNA. That’s not just a safety advantage. It also gives us more flexibility to evolve and refine treatments as science advances.
There’s often an impulse to frame mRNA and CRISPR as rivals. They’re not. CRISPR permanently edits DNA, while mRNA delivers temporary instructions. Each has a role to play, and together, they give us an expanding toolkit to attack disease from multiple angles.
As someone who works at the intersection of research, regulation, and real-world treatment, I’ve seen how easily misinformation can sideline innovation. It’s not enough for scientists to publish data. We must also defend the data.
We need policymakers who fund research, not suppress it. We need doctors who speak with confidence about new therapies. And we need the public to understand that our progress in mRNA isn’t speculative. It’s real. It’s here. And it’s saving lives.
Daniel Getts, PhD, is a co-founder and CEO of Myeloid Therapeutics.
The post Data Over Doubt—The Scientific Case for mRNA in Cancer Care appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.