The news arrived yesterday that Katalin Karikó and her research partner, Drew Weissman, were awarded this year's Japan Prize in the materials and production category, the Japan Prize Foundation announced on its website on Tuesday. And today we learned that three scientists, including Katalin Karikó, who "contributed in the most outstanding way to pushing the boundaries of knowledge" will receive the Spanish Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the biology and biomedicine category. The Frontiers of Knowledge Awards will be presented on June 16 in Bilbao, Spain.
Katalin Karikó, research professor at the University of Szeged (SZTE), and her colleague Drew Weissman, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Robert S. Langer, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will receive the "For their contribution to mRNA therapies and carrier technology" Frontiers of Knowledge Award biology and biomedicine category, it was announced on Wednesday, SZTE announced.
According to the internationally composed judging panel requested by the BBVA Foundation, which administers the award, the results of the three researchers make it possible for "our own cells to produce proteins for the protection and treatment of diseases".
Together, the three researchers' breakthrough discovery has already enabled the timely and rapid development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to provide effective protection against the severe COVID-19 disease. This technology will soon be able to be extended to other therapeutic areas, such as the treatment of autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, enzyme deficiency and other viral infections," emphasized the experts.
In the "chain of scientific results", the biochemist Karikó and the immunologist Weissman jointly developed mRNA modification methods that prevent the immune system from recognizing and destroying the mRNA. Chemist Langer's work "provided tools and reagents that enable the packaging and delivery of macromolecular therapies, including mRNA, into cells, allowing the translational machinery of cells to synthesize proteins/antigens," explains the jury of the BBVA Foundation.
“I want to use the fact that I'm in the media spotlight right now to encourage young people, men and women, to be scientists because it's a lot of fun”
Katalin Karikó is quoted in the press release announcing her latest recognition.
The biology and biomedicine category winners of the Frontiers of Knowledge Award were selected from 94 candidates. The international jury, invited by the BBVA Foundation, which takes care of the award, cooperated with several Spanish scientific and research organizations.
The prize for the Frontiers of Knowledge Award is 400,000 euros (nearly HUF 144 million) in all 8 categories. The awards will be presented on June 16, 2022 in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain, and the honorees will be greeted by a gala concert the day after the ceremony.
Source: magyarhirlap.hu In our opening picture, Katalin Karikó. Photo: MH/Péter Papajcsik
