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An independent study published by the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston TX cites using HemaCare PBMCs to take a closer look at the SARS-CoV-2 virus to identify which of its peptide sequences would make the most effective vaccine targets.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the primary goal for scientists across the globe was to save lives by developing a safe, working vaccine as quickly as possible. To that end, they succeeded admirably; with several vaccines approved, doctors finally have a powerful way to fight back against this deadly disease.

An independent publication cites the use of HemaCare-sourced PBMC as starting material for an assay designed to screen for factors that enhance anti-tumor cytotoxic T cell activity. ^[1]

The paper, published in the renowned scientific journal Nature, reports the study results of a scientific team working at Novartis in San Diego. Their goal is to develop a discovery platform that more closely mimics the in-vivo tumor microenvironment.

Part 2: How COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Trigger Immunity

In Part 1 of our blog series, we described what an mRNA vaccine is, and how it works.

In Part 2, we will explain how receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine triggers the human immune system to start producing antibodies and facilitates long-term protection.

Part 1: What is an mRNA Vaccine?

Vaccination is one of the most successful public health initiatives in history. Vaccine-preventable diseases are at or near an all-time low. So why are some people so hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

It turns out that vaccine hesitancy is as old as vaccination itself. The unknown can be scary, and while modern humans may live in the “Age of Information”, most of us realize that not all information is reliable. Fortunately, help is on the way! In this 2-part blog series, the experts at HemaCare break down precisely what a mRNA vaccine is and how it works to protect those who get it.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended daily lives around the world. Now that we have working vaccines, a new phase has begun in the battle against the deadly virus. Scientists are striving to gather in-depth information about vaccine immune response.

Data collected at the University of Oxford ^[1] shows that approximately 30.0% of the world population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, while just over 15.5% are fully vaccinated. Less developed countries lag far behind more developed nations in their vaccination rates. Only 1.1% of people in low-income countries have received at least one vaccine dose, while the most developed nations are now reaching vaccination rates of 60-70% of their population. ^[1] And even while countries race to vaccinate as many people against COVID-19 as possible, new strains of the virus are emerging, while vaccine hesitancy slows the global effort to eradicate the disease.