Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman won the Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday for work on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology that paved the way for groundbreaking Covid-19 vaccines. The pair, who had been tipped as favourites, “contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” the jury said.
The mRNA vaccines were approved for use in December 2020, and together with other Covid vaccines “have saved millions of lives and prevented severe disease in many more,” the jury said.
Kariko, 68, and Weissman, 64, longstanding colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania in the US, have won a slew of awards for their research, including the prestigious Lasker Award in 2021, often seen as a precursor to the Nobel.
In honouring the duo this year, the Nobel committee in Stockholm broke with its usual practice of honouring decades-old research to ensure it stands the test of time.
While the prizewinning research dates back to 2005, the first vaccines to use the mRNA technology were those made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna against Covid-19.
Unlike traditional vaccines which use weakened virus or a key piece of the virus’ protein, mRNA vaccines provide the genetic molecules that tell cells what proteins to make, which simulates an infection and trains the immune system for when it encounters the real virus.
Source: eNCA
In other news – Bonang Matheba debuts at Paris Fashion Week
In the heart of Paris, against the iconic backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, Paris Fashion Week recently witnessed a remarkable moment of African representation. South African media personality Bonang Matheba, often hailed as the ‘Queen B’ of the entertainment world, made her runway debut at the prestigious Le Défilé runway show hosted by L’Oréal Paris.
This momentous occasion not only marked her transition to the global fashion stage but also celebrated the significance of diversity and inclusivity in the industry. Bonang Matheba’s runway debut was a resounding statement of African excellence at one of the world’s most renowned fashion events. Read more