The use of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology helped bring a COVID-19 vaccine into reality in a much shorter time than expected. The technology is not new, being used both within our own cells to make proteins but also in testing against other diseases and viruses. As Sean Previl explains, while it was able to produce a COVID-19 vaccine quickly, it doesn't mean a treatment against something like cancer will be as fast, but it could still have impact on the fight against diseases and viruses going forward.