Katalin Karikó
Biochemist and RNA researcher
University of Szeged and BioNTech
Hungary
Katalin Karikó is a researcher affiliated with University of Szeged and BioNTech. This profile connects verified scholarly identity information and publication records from OpenAlex and DOI sources. Research areas include RNA Interference and Gene Delivery, Immunotherapy and Immune Responses, Virus-based gene therapy research, RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, Immune Response and Inflammation.
Read biography ↓Biography, research & contributions
Research profile
Katalin Karikó is a biochemist whose research investigated how messenger RNA could be made useful for therapeutic applications. With Drew Weissman, she studied how cells respond to laboratory-produced RNA. Their discoveries concerning nucleoside modifications were recognised by the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
The scientific problem
Messenger RNA supplies instructions used in protein production. Early attempts to introduce laboratory-produced mRNA faced unwanted immune activation. Karikó and Weissman examined differences between naturally occurring RNA and RNA produced in the laboratory. Their work showed that modifications to RNA bases could change the immune response.
A sequence of discoveries
A breakthrough study appeared in 2005. Subsequent work found that modified mRNA could also improve protein production and that purification could remove problematic by-products. These findings addressed separate obstacles in making an mRNA platform work. The contribution was therefore more than a single observation: it helped explain both recognition by immune cells and the efficiency of expression.
Source: Nobel Committee: modifications, expression and purification ↗
Significance and further reading
The Nobel announcement links the discoveries to the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. This recognition does not imply that two researchers alone completed every stage of vaccine development. The advanced background provides references to the original studies and explains how the molecular findings contributed to a much wider programme of research and development.
At a glance
- Full name
- Katalin Karikó
- Fields
- Biochemistry, Medicine
- ORCID
- https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1864-3851
- OpenAlex ID
- A5030598859
Research interests
- Messenger RNA
- Nucleoside modifications
- RNA recognition
- Protein expression
Research topics
Education
Not yet documented in this profile.
Selected research & further reading
A curated reading list, not a ranking by citation count. References use DOI metadata, matching public scholarly records or authoritative lecture sources.
- Suppression of RNA Recognition by Toll-like Receptors: The Impact of Nucleoside Modification and the Evolutionary Origin of RNA ↗2005 · ImmunityDOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2005.06.008
Citation & publication trends
Annual counts are not yet available from a verified author record. Explore the research guide above for the work itself; publication and citation totals depend on database coverage.
Most-cited linked publications
- Single immunizations of self-amplifying or non-replicating mRNA-LNP vaccines control HPV-associated tumors in mice2023-03-03 · Science Translational Medicine145record citations
- Development of GPC2-directed chimeric antigen receptors using mRNA for pediatric brain tumors2022-09-01 · Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer58record citations
- Reducing cell intrinsic immunity to mRNA vaccine alters adaptive immune responses in mice2023-10-05 · Molecular Therapy — Nucleic Acids27record citations
- 11record citations
- Progress in vaccine development for infectious diseases—a Keystone Symposia report2023-04-05 · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences7record citations
Recent linked publications
- “You Learn More From Failure—When Things Are Not Working Well.”2024-10-01 · Issues in Science and Technology
- Resilience, scepticism, and mRNA: The story of Katalin Karikó2024-01-01 · Research outreach
- 1089 Local cancer immunotherapy with a mixture of cytokine-encoding mRNAs formulated in a novel lipoplex stimulates potent antitumor immune responses resulting in improved antitumor activity2023-10-31 · Regular and Young Investigator Award Abstracts
- Reducing cell intrinsic immunity to mRNA vaccine alters adaptive immune responses in mice2023-10-05 · Molecular Therapy — Nucleic Acids
Journals published in
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Biomedicines
- Immunity
- Issues in Science and Technology
- Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
- Nature
- Science Translational Medicine
Related publishers
Institutions
Current verified institution
No verified record links added yet.
Previous institutions
No verified record links added yet.
Awards & honors
- 2023 — Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, shared with Drew Weissman
Career timeline
- 2023 — Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, shared with Drew Weissman
Co-authors
No verified record links added yet.
Education & career institution links
No verified record links added yet.
Claim & manage this profile
Are you this researcher? Sign in, provide identity evidence, and request administrator approval. Editing becomes available only after approval.
Sign in to claim this profileSources & data information
Editorial review: 2026-10-03 · Last data update: 2026-10-03
- https://openalex.org/A5030598859
- https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2023/press-release/
- https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2023/advanced-information/
Unknown values are left blank. Linked publications may be a subset of total works. Identity verification, data retrieval and profile ownership are separate checks.
Portrait reuse license · Image resized for display.
Portrait: Cmichel67 · CC BY-SA 4.0