Dr Katalin Kariko and Dr Drew Weissman, pioneers in the development of mRNA technology that paved the way for Covid vaccines, have been honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Previously considered experimental, the mRNA technology is now the backbone of vaccines that have been administered to millions worldwide. The groundbreaking technology is also being explored as a potential treatment for other illnesses, including cancer.
The Nobel Prize Committee commended the recipients, saying, “The laureates’ work accelerated vaccine development amidst one of the most challenging health crises in recent history.”
Traditional vaccines typically utilize weakened or dead variants of the virus or bacterium, or parts of the infectious agent, to stimulate the immune system. However, mRNA vaccines introduced a novel approach, with both the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines relying on this innovative method during the Covid pandemic.
Drs Kariko and Weissman’s collaboration dates back to the early 1990s when they were colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.