Nobel Prize for Medicine 2023-Explained Poitwise

The Nobel Prize for Medicine 2023 has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for developing the mRNA vaccine technology. This technology became the foundation for history’s fastest vaccine development programme during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is the History of vaccine development?

What is the discovery for which they have been awarded Nobel Prize for Medicine 2023?

Discovery- Their discovery is concerned about the nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

What is mRNA- Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a type of single stranded RNA molecule that carries the genetic information from DNA to the ribosome. This information from mRNA is used to make proteins. mRNA serves as the intermediate between the genetic information stored in DNA and the functional proteins produced in cells. The mRNA molecule is synthesized from a DNA template in a process called transcription.

Read More- Forum IAS

Evolution of mRNA technology

In 1980s mRNA was produced in the lab for the first time. This method was called invitro transcription. It was hoped that using these invitro transcipted mRNAs could be used to produce vaccines and for other therapeutic purposes.

However there were challenges associated with these invitro transcribed mRNA-

1. The biggest challenge was that these In vitro transcribed mRNA gave rise to inflammatory reactions.
2. These In vitro transcribed mRNA were also considered unstable. Also it was challenging to deliver which required the development of sophisticated carrier lipid systems to encapsulate the mRNA.

These challenges reduced the enthusiasm for developing the mRNA technology for clinical purposes and vaccines.

However, these challenges with invitro transcribed mRNAs were solved by the Nobel Prize winners of this year.

They noticed that cells recognize in vitro transcribed mRNA as a foreign substance which leads to their activation and the release of inflammatory signalling molecules. They observed that in vitro transcribed mRNA was recognised as foreign substance but mRNA from mammalian cells did not give rise to any inflammation. Karikó and Weissman realised that some critical properties distinguish between these two different types of mRNA.

Karikó and Weissman came to the conclusion that  bases in RNA from mammalian cells are frequently chemically modified while in vitro transcribed mRNA they are not modified.

Thus they started producing different variants of mRNA by making alterations in their bases. These modified mRNAs were delivered to the dendritic cells.

The results were striking as the inflammatory response was almost abolished when base modifications were included in the mRNA.

Their research represented through image-

What is the significance of this discovery for which Nobel Prize for Medicine 2023 has been awarded?

Development of COVID-19 Vaccine-  The fundamental discoveries of the importance of base modifications in mRNA paved the way for record production of COVID-19 Vaccines in record time. More than 13 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been given globally. The vaccines have saved millions of lives and allowed societies to open and return to normal conditions.

Can be explored to treat Cancer and other diseases- The impressive flexibility and speed with which mRNA vaccines can be developed using the technology pave the way for using the new platform also for vaccines against other infectious diseases. In the future, the technology may also be used to deliver therapeutic proteins ,treat some cancer types and for diseases like Malaria, HIV and Zika.

What Should be the way Forward?

Making the benefit of the discovery of m-RNA vaccines available to every segment of the society and country equally through platforms like COVERBAX and COVAX. The technology should not be monopolised by the big pharma giants. Rather it should be used for benefit of “all mankind”.

India also needs to spend in research and development of new medical science technologies. India needs to shift its role from “Vaccine manufacturer” to “Vaccine Developer”.

Read More- The Hindu , Indian Express

Related Information- mRNA Vaccines mRNA vaccines work by introducing a piece of mRNA that corresponds to a viral protein usually a small piece of a protein found on the virus’s outer membrane. By using this mRNA, cells can produce the viral protein. As part of a normal immune response, the immune system recognizes that the protein is foreign and produces specialised proteins called antibodies. Once produced, antibodies remain in the body, even after the body has rid itself of the pathogen, so that the immune system can quickly respond if exposed again. Antibodies help protect the body against infection by recognizing individual viruses or other pathogens, attaching to them, and marking the pathogens for destruction. If a person is exposed to a virus after receiving mRNA vaccination for it, antibodies can quickly recognize it, attach to it, and mark it for destruction before it can cause serious illness. Individuals who get an mRNA vaccine are not exposed to the virus, nor can they become infected with the virus by the vaccine.