The Nobel Prize has long celebrated incredible advancements in medicine, reflecting the strides we’ve made over time. Recently, lessons from the pandemic took center stage at the 2024 Nobel Week Dialogue in Stockholm, where experts discussed emerging health risks and exciting scientific breakthroughs.
Drew Weissman, a key researcher behind the mRNA vaccine, shared that it took only 15 minutes to design the COVID-19 vaccine once they had the virus’s genetic information. His work has saved countless lives worldwide. Weissman views global health from a broad perspective, connecting it to the balance of nature, emphasizing that everything from air to water impacts our health. He noted a significant historical event—66 million years ago, a massive asteroid hit Earth, disrupting its balance and leading to the extinction of dinosaurs. This change ultimately paved the way for mammals, including humans. Today, our health is still heavily influenced by environmental factors, from pollution to climate change.
Alfred Nobel himself experienced many health challenges in the 1800s. Growing up, only half of his parents’ children survived to adulthood. Nobel often dealt with ailments like headaches and indigestion, possibly worsened by the chemicals he worked with, like nitroglycerin. His interest in medicine led him to support advancements in health care, which he reflected in his will by establishing a prize for physiology or medicine.
The first Nobel Prize for medicine was awarded in 1901 to Emil von Behring for his work on diphtheria. Shortly after, in 1922, a 13-year-old named Leonard Thompson became the first person to receive insulin, which has since become a lifeline for millions with diabetes.
Other significant milestones include Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in the 1940s, which introduced antibiotics to medicine. Later, in the 1950s, the structure of DNA was revealed, changing our understanding of genetics and medicine forever. Today, organ transplants and advanced diagnostic tools like MRI scans are part of everyday life, all thanks to dedicated researchers recognized by the Nobel Prizes.
Looking ahead, recent Nobel Prizes hint at exciting possibilities in health care. The 2020 Chemistry Prize honored Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for CRISPR/Cas9, a groundbreaking gene-editing tool. By 2023, the FDA approved the first CRISPR therapies for sickle cell disease, marking a potential revolution in treatment options. Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó were also recognized for their work on mRNA vaccines that enable swift responses to emerging health threats, with Weissman’s lab now aiming to tackle diseases like norovirus and HIV.
The 2024 Chemistry Prize acknowledged researchers Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for their work on AlphaFold, a tool that accurately predicts protein structures. This could significantly speed up drug discovery and vaccine development, showcasing how artificial intelligence might transform science.
However, the Nobel Week Dialogue also highlighted the challenges we face. Since the first Nobel Prize in 1901, the global population has soared from 1.6 billion to 8 billion. This rapid growth brings new health risks, such as diseases transitioning from wildlife to humans amid changing land use practices. Kristie Ebi, an expert from the University of Washington, emphasized that shifting climate patterns could extend diseases like malaria into new areas.
Astrid Söderbergh Widding, chair of the Nobel Foundation, pointed out that the most significant health innovation in the last century may not be technological but social: the recognition of health as a human right. Making these rights universal will be vital as we face future health challenges.
The discussions at the Nobel Week Dialogue remind us of what health means today and how it may evolve. Looking back at the remarkable progress represented by Nobel Prizes, we can be hopeful about future breakthroughs that may come even faster than before.
