The 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine recognizes the pivotal contributions of Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, whose groundbreaking work laid the foundation for mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, playing a crucial role in saving numerous lives. By revolutionizing our understanding of how mRNA interacts with the immune system, the laureates propelled the unprecedented speed of vaccine development during a critical health crisis. The significance extends to technology, as mRNA vaccines, utilizing genetic instructions to prompt the body's defense against specific virus proteins, can be efficiently produced in large quantities within laboratories, marking a transformative leap in the technological landscape of vaccine manufacturing.
(left to right: Drew Weissman, Katalin Karikó)