Oncolytic & Personalized mRNA Vaccines | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
Monthly Magazine Logo

Table of Content

News In Shorts

Posted 04 Oct 2025

Updated 08 Oct 2025

10 min read

Oncolytic & Personalized mRNA Vaccines

Russia is developing oncolytic vaccine Enteromix and Personalized mRNA cancer vaccines for cancer treatment.

About oncolytic vaccine Enteromix

  • Oncolytic vaccines are a type of cancer therapy that uses oncolytic viruses (OVs) to directly kill cancer cells and stimulate an anti-tumor immune response.
  • Enteromix  is based on a combination of four non-pathogenic viruses that have the ability to destroy malignant cells and simultaneously activate the patient's antitumor immunity.
    • Vaccine showed 100% success in preclinical trials.
  • Initial target of vaccine is colorectal cancer, Moreover, promising progress has been made in developing vaccines for glioblastoma and specific types of melanoma.
List of benefits of mRNA vaccines like Rapid development, strong immune response, and no need of live virus

About Personalized mRNA Vaccines

  • Personalized Vaccine: Based on the genetic analysis of each patient's tumor, a unique vaccine is created that can "teach" the immune system to recognize cancer cells.
  • mRNA vaccines are a type of vaccine that use a small piece of messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct our cells to produce a protein specific to a virus.
  • mRNA delivers genetic material, encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles, into body to prompt protein production that match up with parts of pathogen called antigens.
    • E.g., the mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 directed cells to produce copies of a protein on the outside of the coronavirus known as the spike protein.
  • Immune system sees these foreign antigens as invaders, dispatching defenders called antibodies and T-cells and training immune system for potential future attacks.

Challenges of mRNA vaccines:

  • Storage requirements: Require ultra-cold storage, making distribution difficult.
  • Short-term side effects: E.g. fever, fatigue, and soreness at the injection site.
  • Long-term safety: mRNA vaccines are relatively new, so long-term effects are still being studied.
  • Tags :
  • mRNA Vaccine
  • Enteromix
  • oncolytic vaccine

World’s Largest Neutrino Detector Activated

The detector, known as the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory, or JUNO, is located in China.

  • The observatory is situated 700 meters underground. 
    • Most of the neutrino observatories are underground, as the physical bulk of the Earth’s crust helps block most other interfering particles, like muons (elementary subatomic particles similar to the electron).
  • Main goals of the JUNO
    • Mass Hierarchy: To determine the hierarchy of masses between the three neutrino types.
      • The three neutrino types are Electron neutrino, Muon neutrino, and Tau neutrino, each linked to their respective particles.
    • Oscillation Frequency: To measure the frequency of neutrino oscillation (how often the neutrino types shift, or change, from one type to another).

About Neutrinos

  • Nature: Subatomic particles (often called ghost particles) that have zero electrical charge, zero size and tiny mass.
  • Occurrence: Second-most abundant particle after photons (particles of light) and most abundant among particles found in the universe. 
  • Detectability: Difficult to detect as they only interact with matter via weak nuclear force and gravity.
  • Features: Undisturbed by even the strongest magnetic field, Travel in straight lines from their source, Travel at nearly the speed of light, etc.
List of other key Neutrino observatories- INO, IceCube, TRIDENT, DUNE
  • Tags :
  • Neutrino Detector

Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs)

Astronomers identified a new category of events: Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs).

About ENTs

  • ENTs occur when stars with masses at least three times greater than that of the sun are torn apart by supermassive black holes.
  • As a star nears a black hole’s event horizon, extreme tidal forces stretch and compress the star into a long, thin spaghetti-like shape, releasing enormous amounts of electromagnetic energy. This emission is the ENT.
  • Tags :
  • Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs)

Quasi-Moon

Astronomers have identified a tiny quasi-moon, 2025 PN7, orbiting near Earth for about 60 years.

About Quasi-Moon (a.k.a. Quasi-satellite)

  • A quasi-moon is a celestial body that:
    • Orbits the Sun, appearing to travel with a planet due to a synchronized orbit.
    • Primarily influenced by the sun's gravity, not the planet.
    • Is not a true moon, as it does not directly orbit the planet.
  • Astronomers have previously identified around 6 known quasi-moons of Earth.
  • Tags :
  • Quasi-Moon
  • 2025 PN7

India’s Largest Lithium-ion (Li-ion) Battery Manufacturing Plant

India’s Largest Lithium-ion (Li-ion) Battery Manufacturing Plant was inaugurated in Haryana. 

  • When fully complete, it will produce about 20 crore battery packs every year, covering nearly 40% of India’s annual requirement of 50 crore packs
  • It was established under the Centre's Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) scheme.

About Li-ion Battery 

  • It is a type of rechargeable battery where lithium ions move between a negative electrode (graphite) and a positive electrode (Li transitional metal oxides) through a non-aqueous electrolyte during charging and discharging.

Benefits of Lithium-ion Batteries

  • High energy density: At 75-200 Watt-hours /KG, stores more energy compactly, and offers longer cycles between charges.
  • Lightweight and Lower Toxic Heavy Metals: Compared to older lead-acid batteries, it is much lighter due to use of less toxic and lightweight Li and carbon electrodes.
  • Excellent performance: They provide good cycle stability, efficiency, and reliability, with low self-discharge and generally no memory effect (slow-down due to repeated charging).

Challenges 

  • Supply Chain Vulnerability: E.g. China controls half of global Li production and 70% of Li-ion battery production.
    • India imported Li-ion batteries worth US$ 1.2 billion (2018-2022).
  • Safety hazards: They contain a flammable electrolyte, which can lead to explosions if manhandled.
  • Environmental impact: E.g., Lithium mining is water-intensive (Apprx. 2,000 tonnes per tonne of lithium).
    • Lack of Recycling Units exacerbates the issue of safe disposal.
Key features of Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) scheme
  • Tags :
  • Li-ion Battery
  • Li-ion

Hierarchical reasoning model (HRM)

Sapient’s scientists have developed a new AI modeled on the human brain. Current Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have certain limitations due to use of Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning.

About Hierarchical Reasoning Model (HRM)

  • Modelled on:  Human brain’s hierarchical, multi-time scale processing.
  • Mimics how different brain regions integrate information across durations.
  • Tags :
  • Hierarchical reasoning model (HRM)
  • Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning

Ayurveda Ahara

Recently, FSSAI and Ministry of Ayush released definitive list of ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ Products.

Ayurveda Aahara

  • It is a part of the Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022.
  • It gives clear rules for Food Business Operators (FBOs) making Ayurvedic food products, so consumers know they are authentic and safe.
  • These formulations are drawn from classical Ayurvedic texts
  • The food products include preparations such as,  Angarkarkati (baked wheat balls), Krishara (Khicdi), Panaka (fruit drinks), Dadhi (curd-based), and Gulkand (rose petal jam).
  • Tags :
  • Ayurveda Ahara

DRAVYA Portal

DRAVYA (Digitized Retrieval Application for Versatile Yardstick of AYUSH Substances) portal was launched on National Ayurveda Day (Sep 23, 2025).

About DRAVYA Portal

  • Ministry: Initiatives of Ministry of Ayush.
  • It is the largest collection of data on Ayurvedic Ingredients and Products made available to everyone. 
  • It is an ever growing, ever evolving database that covers classical Ayurveda textbooks as well as contemporary scientific literature and field studies.
  • Tags :
  • DRAVYA Portal
Download Current Article
Subscribe for Premium Features

Quick Start

Use our Quick Start guide to learn about everything this platform can do for you.
Get Started