mRNA vaccine approach could boost bone regeneration, study finds

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Using mRNA technology, the same approach used in two of the COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States, may help broken bones heal more effectively, a study published Wednesday by the journal Science Advances found.

In experiments conducted in rats, messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA, which essentially instructs human genes how to manufacture proteins for immunity and healing, helps boost production of cartilage and ultimately bone, researchers said.

Rats given one dose of an mRNA-based vaccine were able to produce stronger bones than those that were treated using other methods, according to the researchers.

The findings prove that mRNA injections "can heal large, critical-sized, segmental osseous defects of long bones in a superior fashion to" other methods, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Maastricht University in the Netherlands, wrote.

The mRNA-based vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have been found to protect against severe illness from COVID-19, but the technology may have other applications, as well.

Human bone develops either as the result direct formation of bone cells or through a process called endochondral ossification, in which cartilage forms first and then converts to bone, according to the researchers.

In most cases, after fractures or bone loss from various forms of cancer, bone will regenerate on its own. However, in some cases bone may not regenerate without treatment.

In these instances, a drug called recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2, or BMP-2, sold under the brand name INFUSE.

The drug is delivered by using a small implant, which is placed during a surgical procedure, but it can be expensive and produces severe side effects in some people, the researchers said.

Previous studies have also looked at using stem cells to boost bone regeneration, but mRNA provides a "viable, less risky alternative," the Mayo Clinic and Maastricht University researchers said.

Their experiments showed that mRNA can be used at low doses to regenerate bone without side effects or the need for additional shots, they said.

In addition, the quality of the new bone is superior to bone formed by BMP-2 and remained so throughout eight weeks of monitoring. Still, they will need to repeat the experiments in larger animals before they can consider trying the approach in humans, they said.