Nobel Prize In Physiology or Medicine 2023: Karikó And Weissman's mRNA Vaccine Breakthrough

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly granted to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their groundbreaking discoveries that paved the way for the development of mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.

Each year, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine takes the lead in the Nobel series, consisting of six prestigious awards. In 2022, Swedish geneticist Svante Pääbo was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering contributions to the genetic analysis of Neanderthals and Denisovans, the extinct human relatives. He was recognized for his significant findings in the genome of extinct hominins and their role in human evolution.

Pääbo's work gave rise to a new scientific discipline known as paleogenomics, which focuses on the genetic study of extinct species. He also unveiled the existence of a previously unknown hominin, Denisova, shedding light on the evolutionary history of human ancestors.

In 2021, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly presented to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for their pivotal discoveries related to receptors responsible for sensing temperature and touch. Their findings led to the identification of additional temperature-sensing receptors with crucial implications for various physiological processes and disease conditions.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been conferred annually since 1901, with a total of 113 Nobel Prizes in this field awarded to date. Among the laureates, 12 have been women.

Frederick G. Banting remains the youngest laureate in the history of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, having received the award in 1923 at the age of 32 for his groundbreaking discovery of insulin. On the other hand, Peyton Rous holds the distinction of being the oldest laureate in this category, receiving the Nobel Prize in 1966 at the age of 87 for his discovery of tumour-inducing viruses.

Notably, Sune Bergström and Svante Pääbo stand as the sole father-son duo to each receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.