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What is the Nobel Prize?
The Nobel Prize is a special award given by the Nobel Foundation in Sweden. It's named after Alfred Nobel. He was from Sweden and invented [[dynamite::A powerful explosive.]]. He used the money he got from it to give prizes to people who did good things for humanity.
The Nobel Prize is given annually in six areas: physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and [[economics::The study of how a society's money, trade, and industry are organised.]]. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901.
The winners of the Nobel Prize get a gold medal, a [[diploma::A document showing that someone has received an award, completed their education, etc.]], and some money. In 2023, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize in [[Physiology::The study of normal functions of living organisms and their body parts.]] or Medicine.
Why did Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman receive the Nobel Prize?
Katalin Karikó (Hungarian-American) and Drew Weissman (USA) were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on messenger [[RNA::Stands for ribonucleic acid. It is an important chemical that is present in all living cells.]] (mRNA) technology.
This technology helped create COVID-19 [[vaccines::A substance that is injected into the body of a living being to protect it from harmful diseases.]]. Now, mRNA technology is also helping to make treatments for other sicknesses like [[cancer::A deadly disease that causes abnormal growth of cells in different parts of the body]] and heart problems.
Katalin Karikó also became the 13th woman ever to win the Nobel Prize in medicine. Sixty-three women have won Nobel Prizes. But, only Marie Curie won it twice, once for physics in 1903 and once for chemistry in 1911.
How do mRNA vaccines work?
mRNA functions as a message carrier, helping our cells understand how to make things. Most vaccines teach our bodies to fight off sickness by using parts of weak or dead [[viruses::A very small organism that causes humans and animals to fall sick.]]. But, the mRNA vaccines do not use the virus.
mRNA vaccines train our cells to make a protein similar to the virus from which protection is required. This creates [[antibodies::A type of protein that fights viruses and bacteria that enter the body.]] that protect us from being ill in the future from that virus.
During the [[pandemic::A disease that spreads throughout a whole nation or the entire world.]], many vaccine makers used the mRNA technique. This helped our bodies develop protection against the disease.
Quick Revision
Nobel Prize – Started by Alfred Nobel, given yearly in 6 fields for helping humanity.
2023 Winners – Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won for mRNA vaccine work.
Importance – Their research helped make COVID-19 vaccines and may treat cancer, heart diseases.
mRNA Vaccines – Teach cells to make virus-like proteins so our body builds immunity safely.
