02/10/2023
This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
When SARS-CoV-2 emerged in late 2019 and rapidly spread to all parts of the world, few thought that vaccines could be developed in time to help curb the increasing global disease burden. Yet, several vaccines were approved in record time, with two of the fastest approved and most effective vaccines produced with new mRNA technology. The concept of using mRNA for vaccination and in vivo delivery of therapeutic proteins was first proposed over 30 years ago, but several hurdles had to be overcome to make this a clinical reality. Early experiments demonstrated that in vitro transcribed mRNA stimulates undesired inflammatory responses and inefficient protein production in cells and tissues.
A turning point was the discovery by 2023 medicine laureates Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman demonstrating that mRNA produced with modified nucleoside bases evades innate immune recognition and improves protein expression. These findings, combined with the development of efficient systems for in vivo mRNA delivery, stabilisation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen, and unparalleled investments by industry and governments, led to the approval of two highly successful mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020.
The discovery by Karikó and Weissman was critical for making the mRNA vaccine platform suitable for clinical use at a time when it was most needed, making this an extraordinary contribution to medicine and paving the way for future mRNA applications.
The 2023 Nobel Prize 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.
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