Congratulations to Katalin Karikó, PhD, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, for receiving the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine! Their revolutionary work has paved the way for the development of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, showcasing the significant strides science can achieve.
Their research, carried out at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, has changed the course of global health.
One of our largest commitments at The Clayco Foundation is to support meaningful research to find treatments and a cure for Retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy (RVCL), a rare genetic disease. We chose to partner with the University of Pennsylvania because of their large commitment to continued collaboration and advancements, and since then Penn Medicine’s RVCL Research Center has been recognized as a national leader performing cutting-edge research with the goal of developing precise and personalized therapies for patients with retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy.
The duo’s discovery not only saved millions of lives during the pandemic, but opened pathways for the treatment of many other diseases, including RVCL. We are proud to report that we are currently working with Dr. Weissman on RNA technologies to cure single allele gene mutations for rare genetic diseases.
With the support of our RVCL donors and Illumination event attendees, our research team continues to work tirelessly toward a cure. It's inspiring to have individuals like Dr. Weissman champion this cause and extend efforts to help patients, other researchers, and doctors.
Read more about the Nobel Prize, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay up-to-date on research progress related to RVCL.
