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Katalin Karikó

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The native form of this personal name is Karikó Katalin. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Katalin Karikó
Karikó in 2020
Born (1955-01-17) 17 January 1955 (age 69)
Szolnok, Hungary
Nationality
  • Hungarian
  • American
Other namesKati Kariko[1]
EducationUniversity of Szeged (BS, PhD)
Known formRNA technology in immunology and therapies
SpouseBéla Francia
ChildrenSusan Francia
AwardsNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2023) and several others
Scientific career
FieldsBiochemistry
RNA technologies
Institutions

Katalin "Kati" Karikó (Hungarian: Karikó Katalin, pronounced [ˈkɒrikoː ˌkɒtɒlin]; born 17 January 1955) is a Hungarian-American biochemist who specializes in ribonucleic acid (RNA)-mediated mechanisms, particularly in vitro-transcribed messenger RNA (mRNA) for protein replacement therapy. Karikó laid the scientific groundwork for mRNA vaccines, overcoming major obstacles and skepticism in the scientific community.[2] As a result of her pioneering work, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023, along with American immunologist Drew Weissman.[3][4]

Karikó co-founded and was CEO of RNARx from 2006 to 2013.[5] From 2013 to 2022, she was associated with BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals, first as a vice president and promoted to senior vice president in 2019.[6] In 2022, she left BioNTech to devote more time to research.[7] She was also an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania.[5] She later became a professor at the University of Szeged in Hungary.[8]

Karikó's work includes scientific research on RNA-mediated immune activation, resulting in the co-discovery with Drew Weissman of the nucleoside modifications that suppress the immunogenicity of RNA.[9][10][11] This is seen as a further contribution to the therapeutic use of mRNA.[12] Together with Weissman, she holds United States patents for the application of non-immunogenic, nucleoside-modified RNA. This technology has been licensed by BioNTech and Moderna to develop their protein replacement technologies, but it was also used for their COVID-19 vaccines.[13]

The messenger RNA-based technology developed by Karikó and the two most effective vaccines based on it, BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna, have formed the basis for the effective and successful fight against SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide and have contributed significantly to the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14][15] For their work, Karikó and Weissman have received numerous other awards, including the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, Time Magazine's Hero of the Year 2021, and the Tang Prize Award in Biopharmaceutical Science in 2022.

Early life and education

Katalin Karikó grew up in Kisújszállás, Hungary, in a small home without running water, a refrigerator, or television.[16] Her father was a butcher, and her mother was a bookkeeper.[16][1] She excelled in science during her primary education, earning third place in Hungary in a biology competition.[16]

Karikó obtained a B.Sc. degree in biology in 1978 and her Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1982, both from the University of Szeged.[17] She continued her postdoctoral research at the Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre of Hungary. From 1978 until 1985, she was listed as an agent for the Hungarian secret police, a task she says she was blackmailed into out of fear of repercussions on her career or reprisals against her father.[18] In 1985, the lab lost its funding, and she left Hungary for the United States with her husband and 2-year-old daughter.[16] When immigrating to the US, they smuggled in £900 in a teddy bear, money that they had received from selling their car[19][20] and buying British pounds on the black market.[21]

Career

Between 1985 and 1988, while serving as a postdoctoral fellow at Temple University in Philadelphia and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD, (88–89), Karikó participated in a clinical trial in which patients with AIDS, hematologic diseases, and chronic fatigue syndrome were treated with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). At the time, this was considered groundbreaking research, as the molecular mechanism of interferon induction by dsRNA was not known, although the antiviral and antineoplastic effects of interferon were well-documented.[22]

Karikó (right) with Drew Weissman in 2022

In 1989, she was hired by the University of Pennsylvania and worked with cardiologist Elliot Barnathan on messenger RNA (mRNA).[16] In 1990, while an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, Karikó submitted her first grant application in which she proposed establishing mRNA-based gene therapy.[6] Ever since, mRNA-based therapy has been Karikó's primary research interest. She was on track to become a full professor, but grant rejections led to her being demoted by the university in 1995.[13] She stayed on, and in 1997, she met Drew Weissman, a professor of immunology at the University of Pennsylvania.[23] Her persistence was noted as exceptional against the norms of academic research work conditions.[24]

Karikó's key insight came about when she focused on why transfer RNA, used as a control in an experiment, did not provoke the same immune reaction as mRNA.[1] Their key finding of a chemical modification of mRNA to render it non-immunogenic was rejected by the journals Nature and Science but eventually accepted by the publication Immunity.[9] In a series of articles beginning in 2005, Karikó and Weissman described how specific nucleoside modifications in mRNA led to a reduced immune response.[23] They founded a small company, RNARx, and in 2006 and 2013 received patents for the use of several modified nucleosides to reduce the antiviral immune response to mRNA. Soon afterward, the University of Pennsylvania sold the intellectual property license to Gary Dahl, the head of a lab supply company that eventually became Cellscript.[25] Weeks later, Flagship Pioneering, the venture capital company backing Moderna, contacted her to license the patent. All Karikó said was, "we don't have it."[6][clarification needed]

In 2006, Katalin Karikó reached out to biochemist Ian MacLachlan to work with him on the chemically altered mRNA.[26] Initially, MacLachlan and Tekmira turned away from the collaboration. Karikó wanted to team up with Ian MacLachlan because he was the leader of a team that helped advance mRNA technology. Karikó was working on establishing the formulated lipid nanoparticle delivery system that encapsulates mRNA in a dense particle through a mixing process.[27]

In early 2013, Karikó heard of Moderna's $240 million deal with AstraZeneca to develop a Vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA. Karikó realized that she would not get a chance to apply her experience with mRNA at the University of Pennsylvania, so she took a role as vice president at BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals[6] (and subsequently became a senior vice president in 2019), while maintaining an adjunct professorship at the University.[28]

Her research and specializations include messenger RNA-based gene therapy, RNA-induced immune reactions, molecular bases of ischemic tolerance, and treatment of brain ischemia.

Scientific contributions

The work and research of Karikó laid the foundation for BioNTech and Moderna to create therapeutic mRNAs that do not induce an immune response.[6] In 2020, Karikó and Weissman's technology was also used in vaccines for COVID-19 produced by Pfizer (developed by BioNTech)[12][23] and through Moderna.

Awards and honors

Karikó Katalin with a statue of Albert Szent-Györgyi, a fellow Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winner, at the University of Szeged
Main article: List of awards and honors received by Katalin Karikó

Karikó has received more than 130 international awards and honors for her pioneering and globally significant work in biochemistry.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on 2 October 2023 that the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for the development of mRNA technology.[29][30][31]

In 2023, Karikó was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her research into messenger RNA.[32]

Personal life

Karikó's daughter Susan Francia

Karikó is married to Béla Francia, and they are the parents of two-time Olympic gold medalist rower Susan Francia.[12] Their grandson was born in the U.S. in February 2021 to their daughter and son-in-law, architect Ryan Amos.[33][34]

Media visibility and memoir

In April 2021, The New York Times featured her career, which laid the groundwork for mRNA vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

On 10 June 2021, The Daily podcast from The New York Times highlighted Karikó's career, emphasizing the many challenges she had to overcome before her work was recognized.[35]

In 2023, two children's books were released about her: Never Give Up: Dr. Kati Karikó and the Race for the Future of Vaccines, by Debbie Dadey and Juliana Oakley, and Kati's Tiny Messengers: Dr. Katalin Karikó and the Battle Against COVID-19, by Megan Hoyt and Vivien Mildenberger. On October 10, her memoir Breaking Through: My Life in Science is set to be published by Crown Publishing Group.

Selected publications

See also

  • RNA vaccine
  • Tozinameran – COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer BioNTech, sold under the brand name Comirnaty
  • Uğur Şahin – German oncologist and immunologist (born 1965), co-founder of BioNTech
  • Özlem Türeci – German physician, scientist and entrepreneur, co-founder of BioNTech

References

  1. ^ a b c d Kolata, Gina (8 April 2021). "Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  2. ^ Kolata, Gina (8 April 2021). "Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  3. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. ^ Mole, Beth (2 October 2023). "After being demoted and forced to retire, mRNA researcher wins Nobel". Ars Technica. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Katalin Karikó". 8th International mRNA Health Conference. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e Amanda B Keener (1 September 2018). "Just the messenger". Nature Medicine. 24 (9): 1297–1300. doi:10.1038/S41591-018-0183-7. ISSN 1078-8956. PMID 30139958. S2CID 52074565. Wikidata Q91114205.
  7. ^ "Forscherin verlässt Biontech". FAZ.NET. Frankfurter Allgemeine. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Nobel Prize goes to scientists behind mRNA Covid vaccines". BBC News. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  9. ^ a b Katalin Karikó; Michael Buckstein; Houping Ni; Drew Weissman (August 2005). "Suppression of RNA recognition by Toll-like receptors: the impact of nucleoside modification and the evolutionary origin of RNA". Immunity. 23 (2): 165–75. doi:10.1016/J.IMMUNI.2005.06.008. ISSN 1074-7613. PMID 16111635. Wikidata Q24316383.
  10. ^ Bart R. Anderson; Hiromi Muramatsu; Subba R Nallagatla; Philip C. Bevilacqua; Lauren H. Sansing; Drew Weissman; Katalin Karikó (10 May 2010). "Incorporation of pseudouridine into mRNA enhances translation by diminishing PKR activation". Nucleic Acids Research. 38 (17): 5884–5892. doi:10.1093/NAR/GKQ347. ISSN 0305-1048. PMC 2943593. PMID 20457754. Wikidata Q34146278.
  11. ^ Katalin Karikó; Hiromi Muramatsu; Frank A Welsh; János Ludwig; Hiroki Kato; Shizuo Akira; Drew Weissman (16 September 2008). "Incorporation of pseudouridine into mRNA yields superior nonimmunogenic vector with increased translational capacity and biological stability". Molecular Therapy. 16 (11): 1833–1840. doi:10.1038/MT.2008.200. ISSN 1525-0016. PMC 2775451. PMID 18797453. Wikidata Q37416925.
  12. ^ a b c Kollewe, Julia (21 November 2020). "Covid vaccine technology pioneer: 'I never doubted it would work'". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  13. ^ a b Garde, Damian; Saltzman, Jonathan (10 November 2020). "The story of mRNA: From a loose idea to a tool that may help curb Covid". STAT. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  14. ^ Avril, Tom (10 January 2023). "Penn scientists are honored for mRNA research used in COVID vaccines". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  15. ^ Kolata, Gina (8 April 2021). "Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d e Johnson, Carolyn Y. (1 October 2021). "A one-way ticket. A cash-stuffed teddy bear. A dream decades in the making". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Katalin Kariko, PhD profile | PennMedicine.org". www.pennmedicine.org.
  18. ^ Gosh, R. (25 May 2021). "Katalin Karikó: Hungarian Biochemist Behind Covid Vaccine Was Once a Listed Communist Informant?". International Business Times. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Katalin Kariko, the scientist behind the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine". France 24. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Covid vaccine technology pioneer: 'I never doubted it would work'". The Guardian. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  21. ^ "#147: Forging the mRNA Revolution—Katalin Karikó", 2 August 2023
  22. ^ Schwarz-Romond, Thomas (7 November 2016). "Transforming RNA research into future treatments: Q&A with 2 biotech leaders". Elsevier Connect. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  23. ^ a b c Cox, David (2 December 2020). "How mRNA went from a scientific backwater to a pandemic crusher". Wired. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  24. ^ Scales, David (12 February 2021). "How Our Brutal Science System Almost Cost Us A Pioneer Of mRNA Vaccines". WBUR-FM. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  25. ^ Doglin, Elie (14 September 2021). "The tangled history of mRNA vaccines". Nature. 597 (7876): 318–324. Bibcode:2021Natur.597..318D. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-02483-w. PMID 34522017. S2CID 237515383. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  26. ^ Kolata, Gina (15 January 2022). "Halting Progress and Happy Accidents: How mRNA Vaccines Were Made". New York Times. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  27. ^ Cullis, Peter (14 April 2022). "Conversations: Learning lessons from lipids to make COVID-19 vaccines". Cell. 185 (8): 1279–1282. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.026. PMC 8979763. PMID 35385689.
  28. ^ "Biopharmaceutical Science: Katalin Karikó". Tang Prize. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  29. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  30. ^ "Hungarian and US scientists win Nobel for COVID-19 vaccine discoveries". Reuters. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  31. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  32. ^ Singhi, Shaurya. "Penn researchers behind mRNA vaccine inducted into the American National Inventors Hall of Fame". www.thedp.com. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  33. ^ Krisztina, Balogh (25 February 2021). "Nagymama lett Karikó Katalin". index.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  34. ^ "Csodaszép Karikó Katalin unokája" [Katalin Karikó's beautiful grandson]. szeged.hu (in Hungarian). 1 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  35. ^ Barbaro, Michael (10 June 2021). "The Unlikely Pioneer Behind mRNA Vaccines". The Daily (Podcast). The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
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