The Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology to the 'fathers' of mRNA vaccines against Covid, Katalin Karikó (Szolnok, Hungary, 1955) and Drew Weissman (Lexington, USA, 1959 ).

“Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how messenger RNA interacts with our immune system, the awardees have contributed to the development at unprecedented speed of a vaccine against one of the greatest threats to humanity in modern times,” highlighted the jury.

Unlike 'conventional' vaccines, which use weakened or inactivated pathogens to stimulate the immune system to learn to locate and destroy that 'enemy', mRNA vaccines take advantage of our cellular machinery to make them our own. cells that produce proteins identical to those carried by viruses on the surface, so that the immune system trains and learns to recognize them so that it is prepared in case an infection occurs.

This innovative technology that had never before been used in the development of a vaccine – and on which the Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines are based – made it possible to change the course of the pandemic.

According to estimates made by scientists at Imperial College London, only in the 12 months between December 2020 and December 2021, the different vaccines that were developed against Covid prevented the death of about 20 million people around the world. .

Vaccines that are based on weakened or inactivated pathogens or those that use 'pieces' of the microbe to 'teach' the immune system require lengthy development procedures, with large-scale cell cultures, which limits the possibility of responding quickly to a new epidemic.

However, mRNA vaccines, created through biotechnology, allow the desired genetic sequence to be adapted quickly and efficiently, speeding up the process.

It should be noted that the path to obtaining vaccines was not easy. As Katalin Karikó recently recalled in an interview with this newspaper, at first no one believed in the idea that technology based on messenger RNA could be useful for biomedicine.. Both scientists had previously been awarded recognitions such as the Princess of Asturias Award or the Frontiers of Knowledge in Biomedicine Award granted by the BBVA Foundation.

Jointly, Karikó and Weissman, both professors at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), developed methods of modifying messenger RNA to prevent its destruction by the human immune system, once introduced into the body, opening the possibility of using it as an agent therapeutic. Its use to develop Covid vaccines was its first clinical application, but its use is already being explored in other areas, such as cancer, HIV, influenza or malaria.

Reactions from the scientific community: “A well-deserved award”

For Mariano Esteban, head of the Poxvirus and Vaccines group at the National Center for Biotechnology (CSIC), it is “a well-deserved Nobel Prize for the relevance of the technology developed by both researchers on taking mRNA into a cell.” , increase its stability, encapsulate it in nanoparticles and achieve its application as an effective vaccine against infectious agents such as SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19.”

Its application also “opens the doors to its use against other pathologies such as cancer.”. As always happens in science, there are other researchers who could also have been part of the cast,” adds Esteban.

It is an example of the perseverance of researchers to continue with their work on mRNA, despite many refusals to fund it.

Isabel Sola, CSIC

The director of the Coronavirus Laboratory of the National Center for Biotechnology (CSIC), Isabel Sola, points out that the award “is very deserved” since it “recognizes how basic research work by Kariko and Weissman around 2005 has allowed the development of a new class of mRNA vaccines that have saved millions of lives in the pandemic.”

“In my opinion it is an award for basic science and its application to solve real world problems. It is an example of the perseverance of researchers to continue with their work on mRNA, despite many refusals to fund it.. Although before 2020 there were already some attempts to use mRNA as a therapeutic molecule in gene therapy or cancer, finally the pandemic was the opportunity to apply it against a new pathogen. We have all known the success of the results firsthand,” adds the researcher.

Ignacio Melero, co-director of the Immunology and Immunotherapy Service at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and senior researcher at CIMA, emphasizes that “it is a clearly well-deserved Nobel Prize since the mRNA vaccines that were based on its original concept have saved the West.” in the COVID pandemic”.

As always happens in science, there are other researchers who could also have been part of the cast.

Mariano Esteban, CSIC

“The development of vaccines based on mRNA instead of proteins or attenuated microorganisms had many obstacles that have required multiple biotechnological solutions.. These researchers were the pioneers without a doubt, but in the practical applications of mRNA vaccination there have been other researchers who would also deserve the award, among which we would prominently include both Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Turecci.. “In particular for the development of the necessary formulation of mRNA in lipid nanoparticles and for the rapid clinical development of the first effective COVID vaccine.”

For Melero, mRNA vaccines will probably transform the prevention of other infectious diseases for which we currently lack effective vaccines and are demonstrating their effectiveness in some types of cancer mainly to prevent recurrence after surgery.

Therapeutic use in cancer is valued by the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) by Luis Álvarez Vallina, head of the Clinical Research Unit in Cancer Immunotherapy H12O-CNIO. “mRNA technology is the basis of the next revolution that we will experience in oncology, the development of personalized vaccines according to the specific mutational profile of each tumor. “The first clinical trials with mRNA vaccines in cancer are demonstrating enormous potential and the possibility of being combined with other immunotherapy strategies to improve patient survival very significantly.”.

The first clinical trials with mRNA vaccines in cancer are demonstrating enormous potential

Luis Álvarez Vallina, H12O-CNIO

And Vallina does not forget to mention that “the biochemist Karikó and the immunologist Weissman developed for the first time methods of modifying messenger RNA (mRNA) to avoid its immunogenicity, thus opening the door to the use of mRNA as a therapeutic tool”

For her part, Maite Huarte, director of the Division of DNA and RNA Therapies at CIMA University of Navarra, indicates that the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Karikó and Weissman is great news.. “The mRNA vaccine is a very clear example of how basic research translates into great advances in Medicine. I am especially happy for the recognition of Kataliln Karikó, who for a long time worked faithfully to her ideas despite not having the support of funding agencies or her own university.. “A well-deserved recognition of an advance that has opened the door to the development of many other vaccines and treatments based on RNA molecules.”

Other winners

Last year, the Swedish biologist Svante Pääbo (Stockholm, 1955) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his findings on human evolution and the sequencing of the genome of extinct species.

In 2021, the award went to scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for having been able to unravel the mechanisms that allow us to feel cold, heat, pressure or pain.

After the Medicine award, which opens the Nobel ceremony every year, the Physics award will follow on Tuesday, October 3, Chemistry on Wednesday the 4th and Literature on Thursday the 5th.. On Friday the 6th the Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded and, finally, the award for Economic Sciences will be announced on Monday the 9th.

All our lives we have heard about the famous “Children's Vaccination Schedule”. A few years ago, the Ministry of Health began to worry because the name of the calendar made older people see vaccination as something very distant.. Since 2019, like the single ring, we have a “single vaccination schedule”, for children and adults. It's called Common Calendar for Life.

News on the calendar in 2023

On the one hand we have good news for the pockets of parents and future parents: the menincoccus B vaccine is now given along with the rest of the vaccines at 2, 4 and 12 months. And not only in children, but this vaccine will also be administered to risk groups, which is very good news.

On the other hand, these are the three big bombs of the season.

• The shingles vaccine is included for older people.
• The HPV human papillomavirus vaccine is included in children at age twelve (previously only girls were systematically vaccinated).
• And finally, the big news, which is the recommendation for flu vaccination from 6 months to 5 years.

Flu vaccination in children, but wasn't this for older people?

For older people…. and also for little ones. In fact, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics had already recommended in previous years that children be vaccinated. Last year there were three pilot tests in three communities: Andalusia, Galicia and Murcia where between 40-50% of the target population was vaccinated.

Of course, the elderly, pregnant women and people with a compromised immune system remain at risk groups, but children are also easy targets for the virus.. As data:

• 40% of children are infected with the flu each year, of which between 5% and 12% will have complications and of these, some (although very few) will be serious.
• Two thirds of admissions due to flu correspond to minors who were healthy before the infection. That is to say, it is not that the virus is just going to go after at-risk children: it goes after everyone (and everyone).
• The flu causes between 20 or 30 deaths of children annually in Spain. The figures are important from 6 months onwards.

Does vaccinating children protect the elderly?

It is true that children are good transmitters of the virus and that vaccinating them works as a good firewall in the chain of transmission.. But we must not make the mistake of thinking that when we vaccinate them we are “using” them so as not to infect the grandparents.. No. We vaccinate them mainly to protect them and, by the way, look how good, we prevent them from infecting other people.. But the main thing is that they have a benefit.

Second novelty: vaccine against herpes zoster

People between 65 and 80 years old can (and should) be vaccinated against herpes zoster, the famous “shingles.”. People in this age group can make a medical appointment. Ah! And if you are not 65 years old but belong to a risk group, this vaccine is also indicated. .

Third novelty: vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV)

It is great news that 12-year-old children are finally vaccinated. For many years it has been thought that HPV was only a thing for girls and it was something very unfair, first for boys, but also for girls because if they protect themselves, they are also more protected.

What is the risk for children of contracting HPV?

This vaccine directly protects children from developing cancers related to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection such as cancer of the oropharynx (part of the throat behind the oral cavity), penis and anus.. Oral and oropharyngeal cancer is among the ten most diagnosed in Spain with about 8,000 new cases annually.

Last year, the Spanish Pediatric Association promoted a decalogue that indicates the reasons for recommending vaccination against HPV in men.. Among them, there is a very significant percentage of cancers related to HPV in men, that head and neck cancer and anal cancer are on the rise, especially in men, and that they are related to HPV.

Does vaccination really help?

Yes, because just vaccinating girls does not sufficiently protect boys (and vice versa, if you vaccinate boys you protect girls more). It has been seen that vaccination has an impact on genital warts in men. I know this sounds terrible, but having it is much worse. So if your child is 12 years old, you are in luck.. And if you are over 12, it is also advisable to administer it but remember that for this it will be necessary to request a prescription and buy it at the pharmacy.

Latest news: vaccine against bronchiolitis

In 2023 we have among us a new vaccine that is somewhat different from the usual ones: the vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus, the “author” of bronchiolitis. The Vaccine Advisory Committee is in favor of applying it to all children under six months and in risk groups up to two years of age, although for now it will not be done in all autonomous communities.. The protocol states that children born from April to September receive a dose in October at the health center, and if they are born from October to March, a dose in the hospital before discharge.

Can you buy the bronchiolitis vaccine at the pharmacy?

No, as it is a medication classified as hospital-dispensing, it cannot be purchased in pharmacies; it will only be available in health centers.

What do we know about the Covid vaccine?

Coinciding with the start of the flu vaccination campaign, the third booster dose against Covid-19 will also begin to be administered for risk groups.. That is, for people over 60 years of age, chronically ill people and social-health personnel.. The report with the 'Vaccination recommendations against flu and Covid-19 in the 2023-2024 season in Spain', published almost two months ago and carried out taking into account the epidemiological situation at that time, recommends vaccination against Covid-19 in the autumn-winter season (2023-2024) to the target population groups, and excludes the child and adult population that is not part of the target population.

Since the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people resorting to invisible orthodontics has skyrocketed. Problems such as dental crowding or misalignment, which until a few years ago were corrected with the famous metal braces, have come to be treated with these transparent aligners that can be easily removed and put on.

If you are thinking about using one or are simply curious about how this dental alignment method works, I invite you to continue reading.

What is invisible orthodontics?

It is an orthodontic treatment that aims to correct bad positions or deviations of the teeth, using removable transparent aligners custom-made for each patient with the help of a computer program that scans our mouth and allows us to see how It will be the final result from day one.

It is painful?

It is especially annoying when you have to change phases and start with a new pair of aligners.. You will notice that they put pressure on your teeth, especially in the first days of the change, but it is necessary and an indicator that they are being positioned correctly.

Can I lead a normal life with her?

If by normal life we mean eating and drinking everything, with invisible orthodontics on we cannot. We can drink water without a problem, but if we want to drink infusions, coffee or soft drinks, we must first remove the aligners.. The same thing happens with food, we can eat whatever we want but always after removing them.. And at the end, before putting them back in, we must brush our teeth.

So, can I take them off whenever I want?

Correct, you remove them and put them on with a simple gesture, but if we want to do the treatment well and achieve the expected results, we must wear the splints for at least 20 hours each day.

How do I know which splint to wear?

The splints are numbered and packaged in pairs. The orthodontist, on a calendar, will tell you which day you should move forward and change the pair of splints for the next to progress in dental alignment.

Are just these aligners enough to correct everything?

It depends on each case, so it must be assessed individually.. Sometimes it will be necessary to place extra elements such as attachments, rubber bands or microscrews to help the aligner grip the teeth or to rotate and move very misplaced teeth.

What if I lose an aligner?

It's more common than you think. They are taken out to eat, wrapped in a napkin and eventually end up in the trash.. In this case we must inform our dentist so that he can assess whether, depending on the day of the month we are in, a new one is ordered, we return to the previous set of aligners or advance to the next one.

And at the end of the treatment, are the results maintained?

Exactly the same as with braces or any other type of orthodontics. Of course, we must keep in mind that the teeth tend to return to their initial position, so it is very likely that as the last phase of the treatment we will have to use the so-called retainers.. This is nothing more than a device, fixed or mobile, that will prevent the teeth from having freedom of movement.

Are the orthodontics advertised online reliable?

Almost every day there are advertisements on social networks or websites about invisible aligner devices that can be purchased online, offering affordable prices and promising express results.

The reality is that these remote treatments barely have follow-up by orthodontic professionals.. As the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products warns, “the aligners are sent directly to the patient so that they can carry out the treatment at home without the supervision of a specialist, and without a precise diagnosis or the implementation of an individualized treatment plan” .

In addition to Earth, Venus, Mars and Mercury, our solar system would probably have another rocky planet if a catastrophic collision in space had not occurred billions of years ago.

That failed Earth, which did not complete its