Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, Penn’s Historic mRNA Vaccine Research Team, Win 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine

PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania messenger RNA pioneers whose years of scientific partnership unlocked understanding of how to modify mRNA to make it an effective therapeutic—enabling a platform used to rapidly develop lifesaving vaccines amid the global COVID-19 pandemic—have been named winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The Future of Medicine Rises in University City: University of Pennsylvania Opens New Multi-Disciplinary Research Labs in One uCity Square

Wexford Science & Technology, LLC and the University of Pennsylvania today announced that the University has signed a lease for new laboratory space that will usher in a wave of novel vaccine, therapeutics and engineered diagnostics research to West Philadelphia.

CHOP and Penn Medicine Researchers Develop “In Vivo” RNA-based Gene Editing Model for Blood Disorders

In a step forward in the development of genetic medicines, researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a proof-of-concept model for delivering gene editing tools to treat blood disorders, allowing for the modification of diseased blood cells directly within the body. If translated into the clinic, this approach could expand access and reduce the cost of gene therapies for blood disorders, many of which currently require patients receive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. The findings were published today in the journal Science.

Improving gene therapy with tiny bubbles

Beyond vaccines, mRNA offers immense potential to fight disease, but targeting the genetic material to specific diseased cells is challenging—requiring a new method. To meet this need, researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, with a Global Research Fellowship award from Moderna Inc., are developing a process that essentially uses bubbles to overcome the problem.

Modified nucleotides used in COVID-19 vaccines work as designed

The remarkable effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has generated much interest in synthetic mRNA therapeutics for treating and preventing disease. But some basic science questions have remained about whether the modified nucleotides used in the vaccines faithfully produce the protein products that they are designed to make.

University of Pennsylvania’s First NFT Commemorates mRNA Research

The historic scientific breakthrough at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that helped lead the world’s fight against COVID-19 through mRNA-based vaccines is being commemorated through a non-fungible token—a digital asset to be auctioned by Christie’s—that will support ongoing research at Penn.

Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Show Robust T-Cell Responses to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

New research shows that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients undergoing anti-CD20 (aCD20) treatment – which depletes the B cells that contribute to the MS attacks – are able to mount robust T-cell responses to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, despite having a muted antibody response to the vaccines.

2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Awarded to Penn Medicine mRNA Pioneers Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó

PHILADELPHIA – It was a scientific discovery 16 years ago that paved the way for creation of lifesaving vaccines when the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe in 2020. Now, the two Penn Medicine researchers behind the findings are again being recognized for their innovative and monumental work, which has ushered in a new era of vaccine technology.

Penn mRNA Researchers Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó Awarded the 2021 Albany Prize

PHILADELPHIA – For their landmark research that set a foundation for the mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research, and Katalin Karikó;, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a senior vice president at BioNTech, have been selected to receive the 2021 Albany Prize.

Low on Antibodies, Blood Cancer Patients Can Fight off COVID-19 with T Cells

Antibodies aren’t the only immune cells needed to fight off COVID-19 — T cells are equally important and can step up to do the job when antibodies are depleted, suggests a new Penn Medicine study of blood cancer patients with COVID-19 published in Nature Medicine.

COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines are Immunogenic in Pregnant and Lactating Women, Including Against Viral Variants

In a new study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers evaluated the immunogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in pregnant and lactating women who received either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. They found that both vaccines triggered immune responses in pregnant and lactating women.

Chula Innovations for Society to Fight COVID-19

Chulalongkorn University has taken a bold step in commutating its transformation to an innovation-centric university with its “Innovations for Society” campaign. The campaign uses a short movie to inform the public about the various innovations that Chula has successfully developed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of Chula’s mission to play a leading role in “Creating Knowledge and Innovation to Promote Sustainable Development for Society”.

2021 Warren Alpert Prize Awarded to Two Scientists for RNA Discoveries

The 2021 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize has been awarded to scientists Lynne Maquat and Joan Steitz for seminal discoveries in the biology and function of RNA, the workhorse molecule of cells. Their discoveries have reshaped the understanding of RNA’s myriad roles in healthy cell function and in disease-causing dysfunction and have informed the conceptualization and design of RNA-based therapies in various stages of development.

信使RNA COVID-19疫苗大幅降低无症状COVID-19感染和传播给他人的风险

接受第二剂信使RNA或mRNA COVID-19疫苗10天后,与未接种COVID-19疫苗的患者相比,无症状COVID-19感染者检测为阳性和在不知不觉中传播COVID-19的可能性大幅降低。Pfizer-BioNTech和Moderna信使RNA COVID-19疫苗已在美国获得紧急使用授权。

As vacinas para COVID-19 de RNA mensageiro reduzem muito o risco de infecção assintomática por COVID-19 disseminada para outras pessoas

Dez dias após receber uma segunda dose de uma vacina para COVID-19 de RNA mensageiro, ou mRNA, pacientes sem sintomas de COVID-19 têm muito menos probabilidade de apresentar teste positivo e espalhar COVID-19 inadvertidamente, em comparação com pacientes que não foram vacinados para COVID-19.

Weizmann Institute of Science and Colleagues Show How Cancer Cells Hurt Themselves to Hurt Immune Cells More

Melanoma is skilled at evading therapies, with its cells going so far as to starve in order to stop the immune cells that would eradicate them. A team from the Weizmann Institute, including Prof. Yardena Samuels; the Netherlands Cancer Institute; and the University of Oslo have revealed one of melanoma’s tricks – never before seen in human cells – and a therapeutic target.

Penn Medicine mRNA Vaccine Technology Pioneer and Health Policy Experts Join Together to Discuss COVID Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization Plans

**All experts also available for interviews prior to event and EUA Advisory Committee Meetings**

**B-roll and lab photos of Drs. Weissman and Wherry shot this month, headshots of the others, and photos from Penn’s Moderna vaccine trial participants getting vaccinated, are available for use**