Kathryn A. Whitehead

But here's the best part.

For mRNA therapeutics, these vaccines are only the beginning.

mRNA can be used to treat or cure many diseases.

So, in the future, we will likely have treatments for many terrible diseases, including cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and sickle cell anemia.

These diseases are caused by mutated proteins, and we can use mRNA to ask our cells to make the correct version of these proteins.

We'll have treatments for cancer, breast, blood, lungs, you name it.

We'll use mRNA to teach our immune cells how to find and kill cancer cells.

And then, if we're lucky, we'll have vaccines against some of the most deadly and feared pathogens across the globe, including malaria, Ebola and HIV.

Some of these products are already in clinical trials, and the success of the COVID-19 vaccines will pave the way for future generations of these therapies.

This is how the pandemic will save the lives of millions.

It catalyzed the most rapid vaccine development in history and brought to life a niche, previously unapproved form of technology.

And in our desperation,

we gave that technology a chance.

Now, we're collecting long-term safety and efficacy data from hundreds of millions of people.

And with these data, interest in the technology, funding for the technology, and trust in the technology will continue to grow.

Looking ahead,

the packaging and delivery of mRNA to the right organs and tissues will continue to be one of the most significant challenges to implementing this technology.

And so my colleagues and I are going to be busy for a very long time.

Ultimately, I'm here with a message of hope.

We are on the cusp of a revolution.