The 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine goes to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their pioneering work on nucleoside base changes crucial for potent COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Let’s explore these scientists and their vaccine tech breakthroughs.
Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman have been honored with the prestigious 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their pioneering investigations into nucleoside base modifications, which played a pivotal role in the advancement of exceptionally efficient mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. Join us as we explore the identities of these remarkable scientists and the transformative impact of their research on vaccine technology.
Kariko’s Expedition
In 1955, within the picturesque town of Szolnok, Hungary, Katalin Kariko came into this world. Her academic journey saw her securing a doctoral degree from Szeged University in 1982. Following this, she immersed herself in postdoctoral investigations at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Szeged until 1985. The pivotal year of 1989 marked her entrance into the academic realm at the University of Pennsylvania, where she collaborated closely with Drew Weissman. Over time, Kariko ascended the ranks, eventually assuming the roles of vice president and senior vice president at BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals. Fast forward to 2021, and she finds herself a distinguished Professor at Szeged University, concurrently serving as an Adjunct Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine within the University of Pennsylvania.
Weissman’s Profiling History
Drew Weissman’s birthplace was Lexington, Massachusetts, USA, in the year 1959. He successfully earned both his MD and PhD credentials from Boston University in 1987. Subsequently, Weissman underwent clinical training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, followed by dedicated postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health. In the year 1997, he founded his research team at the Perelman School of Medicine within the University of Pennsylvania, where he presently holds the esteemed position of Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and serves as the Director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovations.
The Importance of mRNA-Based Vaccination
Conventional Immunizations:
- In the past, standard immunization methods depended on attenuated or deactivated viruses to trigger the generation of antibodies within the body.
- The manufacturing of such vaccines entailed the cultivation of viruses in cell cultures, a process that was notably time-consuming.
The Rise of mRNA-based Vaccines:
- mRNA technology had been recognized since the 1980s but was unsuitable for mass-scale vaccine manufacturing.
- Differing from traditional immunizations, mRNA vaccines harness messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) to engage with the immune system.
- Genetically engineered mRNA directs cells to produce specific proteins for combatting viral infections.
Kariko and Weissman’s Remarkable Contribution
Acknowledging the Conundrum:
Kariko and Weissman discerned a pivotal dilemma: within the human body, lab-cultivated genetically engineered mRNA sparked an inflammatory reaction when encountered by dendritic cells, as they recognized it as foreign.
The Revolutionary Discovery:
In response to this quandary, they embarked on an exploration involving the chemical modification of mRNA’s base components. Through the introduction of distinctive chemical adaptations to the mRNA bases and their targeted delivery to dendritic cells, they managed to mitigate the inflammatory response. These trailblazing findings found their way into publications in 2005, and subsequent advancements continued to emerge in 2008 and 2010.
The Influence of COVID-19 Vaccination
- Thanks to the foundational work of Kariko and Weissman, research on mRNA vaccines was already in progress when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
- Moderna and Pfizer, among others, harnessed this technology to rapidly develop COVID-19 vaccines.
- mRNA vaccines proved to be a game-changer, allowing for quicker and more targeted vaccine development.
