2023
Pieter Cullis
Biochemist’s groundbreaking work on mRNA vaccines holds promise for cancer treatments
2023
Biochemist’s groundbreaking work on mRNA vaccines holds promise for cancer treatments
Pieter Cullis’ pioneering work that contributed to the highly effective COVID-19 mRNA vaccines continues to garner global recognition. The University of British Columbia biochemist won the prestigious Harvey Prize alongside collaborators Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman from the University of Pennsylvania.
The three developed nucleoside-modified mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) drug delivery – the foundational technologies for the mRNA vaccines. Drs. Karikó and Weissman discovered how to engineer mRNA, while Dr. Cullis and colleagues developed the packaging system to effectively introduce the mRNA into the body.
For delivery of mRNA, the LNPs are designed to form a protective bubble and enable delivery to the interior of target cells.
Dr. Cullis says the Harvey prize is “an amazing honour.” More than 30 per cent of Harvey Prize winners have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.
Over the past 40 years, Dr. Cullis has worked in lipid chemistry and the formation of LNPs. New developments in his research aligned perfectly with the need for a COVID-19 vaccine, something he describes as “being in the right place at the right time.”
Dr. Cullis’ current research focuses on designing LNP systems that can transfect tissues in bone marrow.
“This ability will allow many new gene therapies to be developed for the treatment of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma, as well as inherited diseases such as sickle cell anemia.”
In 2022, he and Drs. Karikó and Weissman shared the Gairdner International Award and the Tang Prize for their work on mRNA vaccines.
Through two start-ups he co-founded – Vancouver-based Acuitas and NanoVation Therapeutics – Dr. Cullis and his colleagues partner with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions and thought leaders from around the world to advance and commercialize mRNA therapeutics for a wide variety of diseases.
Dr. Cullis also co-founded two Canadian National Centre of Excellence networks: the Centre for Drug Research and Development (now AdMare) and the NanoMedicines Innovation Network.
