After receiving the 14th BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, Robert Langer explains in this interview how his advances in biomedical engineering have transformed drug development and advanced therapies. He details how the creation of controlled-release systems and new biomaterials has enabled the design of more precise and effective treatments, with a direct impact on areas such as oncology, regenerative medicine, and next-generation vaccines. His vision demonstrates how collaboration between science, engineering, and clinical practice can drive innovations that improve the lives of millions.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine has gone in this fourteenth edition to Katalin Karikó, Robert Langer and Drew Weissman “for their contributions to messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and delivery technology that enable our o
After receiving the 14th BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, Robert Langer explains in this interview how his advances in biomedical engineering have transformed drug development and advanced therapies. He details how the creation of controlled-release systems and new biomaterials has enabled the design of more precise and effective treatments, with a direct impact on areas such as oncology, regenerative medicine, and next-generation vaccines. His vision demonstrates how collaboration between science, engineering, and clinical practice can drive innovations that improve the lives of millions.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine has gone in this fourteenth edition to Katalin Karikó, Robert Langer and Drew Weissman “for their contributions to messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and delivery technology that enable our own cells to produce proteins for disease protection and treatment,” remarked the committee in its citation.
00:00 Introduction
00:05 Could you explain your specific contribution to the technology that made it possible to develop vaccines against COVID-19?
01:46 What role do the nanoparticles you developed play in macromolecule therapeutics and drug delivery, and why are they so important to the success of these techniques?
02:40 Beyond COVID-19 vaccines, in which other therapeutic areas is your technology already being used?
03:34 Looking to the future, for which other disorders do you foresee this technology being used in successful treatments?
04:21 What are you currently working on, and how far do you hope this biomedical technology might take us in the fight against human disease?
