Scientists Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in recognition of their work in molecular biology, which allowed for the creation of vaccines to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his last will and testament, entrepreneur Alfred Nobel set out his wish to reward individuals whose contributions had “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”. Upon his death in December 1896, the majority of his vast fortune was invested in supporting the endeavour, the interest from which is used to award Nobel Laureates to this day.
Each year, Nobel Prizes are awarded by committees of experts in a wide range of categories, spanning disciplines such as physics and literature to awards for promoting peace. Each award carries a prize of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1 million U.S.), which is split between up to three recipients from a given category.
BREAKING NEWS
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 2, 2023
The 2023 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/Y62uJDlNMj
In 2023, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to scientists Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their breakthroughs in the field of molecular biology, which allowed for the development of tailored vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nestled in the nucleus of most human cells is the double-helix formation of deoxyribonucleic acid, also known as DNA. Composed from a sequence of chemical elements known as bases numbering in the billions, DNA serves as a kind of hereditary instruction manual for the human body that contains all the information needed to co-ordinate its myriad billions of cells.
The wealth of information contained in DNA is transferred to the rest of the body using a messenger element known as mRNA, which is used as a template for relevant cells, dictating to them which proteins need to be created to best serve the body as a whole.
During the 1980s, scientists had sought to manufacture mRNA as a potential delivery system for vaccines. However, producing the messenger elements without resorting to the time-consuming practice of culturing live cells was found to be technically challenging, and often triggered inflammatory reactions when the body’s immune system recognized the modified mRNA as a foreign substance.
In 2005, Karikó and Weissman made a paradigm-shifting breakthrough by successfully introducing the messenger elements to immune cells while avoiding an inflammatory reaction by altering the mRNA bases to make them closer to their authentic counterparts.
Further research showed that modified mRNA was more efficient at triggering protein production compared to their naturally occurring counterparts, and that because they didn’t rely on cell cultures to grow, they could be manufactured incredibly fast.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists were able to modify mRNA and create billions of vaccines that granted 95% protection against the viral infection, saving millions of lives in the process. None of this would have been possible without Karikó and Weissman’s research into mRNA, which is even now being adapted to fight other life-threatening diseases.
The Awards will be given to the laureates during a ceremony on December 10, also known as Nobel Day, which marks the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
Image credit: Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images
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