Pic Credit Nobel Prize site
Reference – Nobel prize site
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the year 2023 has been jointly awarded to two exceptional scientists, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. Their groundbreaking discoveries have revolutionized the field of mRNA research and played a pivotal role in the development of highly effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. Let’s dive into their extraordinary journey and the significance of their work.
The Pioneers of mRNA Vaccines
The year 2020 brought an unprecedented global challenge in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists worldwide raced against time to find a solution to combat the novel coronavirus. Amid this chaos, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman’s groundbreaking research took center stage.
Traditionally, vaccines have been developed using various methods, including weakened or inactivated viruses, viral proteins, or viral genetic code incorporated into a harmless carrier virus. These methods require large-scale cell culture, making rapid vaccine production during pandemics a significant challenge.
The Promise of mRNA
In the early 1990s, Katalin Karikó, a Hungarian biochemist, and Drew Weissman, an immunologist, embarked on a collaborative journey that would eventually change the landscape of vaccine development. Their work focused on messenger RNA (mRNA), a molecule responsible for carrying genetic information from DNA to produce proteins in our cells.
At the time, in vitro transcribed mRNA was considered unstable and triggered inflammatory responses when introduced into the body. Despite these challenges, Karikó remained determined to harness the potential of mRNA for therapeutic purposes. This determination led to a fruitful partnership with Weissman, who was researching dendritic cells’ role in the immune system.
Uncovering the Key: Nucleoside Base Modifications
Karikó and Weissman’s breakthrough came when they realized that dendritic cells recognized in vitro transcribed mRNA as foreign, leading to inflammation. They hypothesized that the absence of chemical modifications in the mRNA’s bases might be the cause of this unwanted immune response.
To test their theory, they engineered various mRNA variants, each with unique chemical modifications in their bases. When these modified mRNAs were delivered to dendritic cells, the inflammatory response nearly disappeared. This discovery fundamentally altered our understanding of how cells interact with different forms of mRNA and had profound implications for therapeutic applications.
The Road to mRNA Vaccines
Building on their initial discovery, Karikó and Weissman continued their research. In subsequent studies published in 2008 and 2010, they demonstrated that base modifications in mRNA not only reduced inflammatory responses but also significantly increased protein production when delivered to cells. This paved the way for the clinical application of mRNA in therapy.
Their groundbreaking findings caught the attention of the scientific community, and by 2010, several companies were exploring the potential of mRNA technology. It wasn’t long before mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, encoding the SARS-CoV-2 surface protein, were developed with unprecedented speed and efficacy. These vaccines, based on the work of Karikó and Weissman, were approved in record time, offering protection rates of approximately 95%.
Beyond COVID-19: A New Era in Vaccines
The success of mRNA vaccines has transformed the field of vaccine development. Their remarkable flexibility and rapid adaptability mean that mRNA technology can be used to combat various infectious diseases in the future. Moreover, this platform has the potential to deliver therapeutic proteins and treat specific types of cancer.
