The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded this Monday to researchers Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, “for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19”, according to the Karolinska Institute, responsible for selecting the Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine.

Reacting to the news, Miguel Prazeres, a Técnico professor at the Department of Bioengineering, shares some thoughts on the subject, which he had already addressed in 2020, in an opinion piece published in the Portuguese newspaper i, and in which he mentioned Karikó and Weissman’s work. The professor of Introduction to Bioengineering and Gene and Cell Therapy has also made statements to the Público newspaper and the Exame Informática magazine.

The idea of mRNA vaccines was at first seen as a rather implausible scenario. What motivates a scientist to keep doing research on a certain topic, when there are indications that it may be a ‘dead end’, or even when there is no funding?

At an early stage, the motivation is, undoubtedly, the scientific curiosity, the desire to try out new solutions or test hypotheses. When there is evidence of a ‘dead end ahead’, there are a few alternatives. Giving up is certainly the easiest. Continuing ‘until you bang your head against a brick wall’ is reserved for the most obstinate. Self-confidence, resistance to criticism and resilience in the face of obstacles are essential.

In a very small number of cases, there will be those who, after ‘banging their heads against a brick wall’, will want to climb it… In theory, I think it’s important to have an open mind to welcome and explore crazy, improbable and naive ideas, without prejudice, and to let everyone pursue them. In theory…

Similarly to the previous question, when should a scientist recognise that it might be best to change their research topic or approach (at the risk of losing the opportunity to make an unexpected discovery)?

This decision depends on each person’s personality, and also, in some circumstances (funding, space, colleagues, etc.). For many of them, it is not easy to give up an idea, hypothesis or vision in which they have invested a lot of time, resources, credibility, and physical, intellectual and emotional energy. In any case, there is always a benefit associated with the work of those who explore science and technology topics and that turns out to be unsuccessful. With their failures, they show the community that there is no way out. And that is very important. On the other hand, we often see that the most “crazy” or improbable ideas/theories/hypotheses, even if they are wrong, can stimulate new ideas, theories and hypotheses in others that turn out to be right.

Today we congratulate ourselves that Karikó & Weissman have insisted on their research. What benefits has this technology brought to the fight against the pandemic? And what benefits could it bring in the future of medicine?

Karikó & Weissman were responsible for the design and study of a set of strategies for modifying mRNA molecules that made it possible to reduce their vulnerability and propensity to generate adverse immune reactions. The benefits that mRNA technology – which they helped to develop – has brought to the fight against the pandemic are all too evident. The mRNA vaccines have had a huge impact on the fight against COVID-19, making it possible to increase collective immunity in a record time and thus drastically reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with the disease. In addition to their proven effectiveness, all available data indicates that safety has also been amply demonstrated.

As for future benefits, in addition to prophylactic vaccines, which help prevent infectious diseases such as COVID-19, there are prospects for developing therapeutic mRNA vaccines, which stimulate the immune system to fight oncological diseases. But there are other potential applications of mRNA technology under study, for example in the treatment of genetic diseases, regenerative medicine or the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Do you think that the award of this prize will encourage more research into mRNA vaccines in the future?

There’s no doubt that the award of the Nobel Prize shows that we need to invest in this area. In any case, research and development of mRNA vaccines have progressed rapidly as a result of their proven importance, which we witnessed in real time during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have all benefited, directly or indirectly, from mRNA vaccines. Investing in more research in this area seems obvious.

What other advances in medicine would you like to have seen awarded?

I’d like to see areas that intersect with engineering, such as the application of artificial intelligence to medicine or the development of genomic medicine, under the scrutiny of future Nobel committees.