Twice laureates
The Lasker Prize was awarded for work on optogenetics and the creation of mRNA vaccines
Anastasia Kuznetsova-Fantoni, N+1
The Lasker Prize in 2021 was awarded for research in the field of optogenetics and the development of mRNA vaccines. The virologist David Baltimore, who devoted most of his career to retroviruses, won the nomination "for special achievements in medical sciences". The list of winners is published on the Lasker Prize website.
The Lasker Prize was founded in 1946. It got its name in honor of philanthropist Albert Lasker and became the "second Nobel" for the USA. The prize is awarded annually in three disciplines: basic medical research, clinical medical research and special achievements in medical sciences.
In 2021, the Lasker Prize in the category "basic medical research" was awarded to Dieter Oesterhelt, Peter Hegemann and Karl Deisseroth for their work in the field of optogenetics. They discovered opsin proteins and developed methods of controlling them, with which they can control the activity of brain cells. Their discovery is now being used for research on degenerative diseases and mental disorders, and recently doctors with the help of optogenetics partially restored vision to a man who had been blind for 40 years.
Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman won in the nomination "Clinical medical research". They were awarded the prize for the development of mRNA vaccines. Weissman and Kariko discovered how to modify mRNA in such a way as to enhance protein production, but minimize the inflammatory response. Now this technology is being used to create vaccines against coronavirus, cancer and autoimmune diseases.
The Lasker Prize for Special Achievements in medical sciences was awarded to Nobel laureate David Baltimore. The jury particularly noted his contribution to the study of retroviruses, immunity and cancer, as well as his academic and social activities.
In 2020, the Lasker Prize was not awarded due to the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 nominees were considered together with the 2021 nominees. In 2019, the Lasker Prize was awarded to the discoverers of B- and T-lymphocytes and the creators of herceptin.
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