Produced by: Priya Raghuvanshi
Designed by: Mohsin Shaikh
On Monday, October 2, the Nobel Assembly awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine to Hungarian-American biochemist Katalin Kariko and immunologist Drew Weissman for their path-breaking work on mRNA vaccines
"The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times," the Swedish award-giving body said in the latest accolade for the pair
This Prize is among the most prestigious awards among the scientific community, and it was selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute Medical University. The Nobel prize comes with 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1 million) to share between the winners
Katalin Kariko is a former Senior Vice President and Head of RNA protein replacement at German biotech firm BioNTech. Currently, Kariko is a professor at the University of Szeged in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania
Drew Weissman is a professor in vaccine research at Pennsylvania. "It's an incredible honour. I think the important thing is that we couldn't have come to the result without both of us being involved," he said after winning the prize
A particular class of genetic material known as messenger RNA, or mRNA, is essential for creating proteins in cells. It is also a crucial component of the central dogma of molecular biology, which describes the flow of genetic information in cells from DNA to RNA to protein. This makes it critical in delivering and activating antibodies against a viral infection
Unlike conventional vaccines, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines do not involve the weakening or inactivation of the germs. They work by leveraging a small piece of synthetic mRNA to instruct cells in the human body to produce a harmless portion of the target pathogen. To direct our cells to make a protein or a portion of a protein that causes an immunological response, scientists use lab-made mRNA. In response, our body produces antibodies to protect us from future infections
Kariko and Weissman faced several challenges while working on this vaccine, including skepticism from the scientific community and a funding crunch when they started their research
"The findings by 2023 Nobel Prize laureates Katalin Kariko, and Drew Weissman led to the approval of two highly successful mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines in late 2020. The vaccines have saved millions of lives and prevented severe disease in many more," said the Nobel Assembly