Nobel Prize 2024 in Physiology, Medicine: Ambros and Ruvkun

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

• Awarded jointly to Victor Ambros (70) and Gary Ruvkun (72) for MicroRNAs
• Ambros: Professor at University of Massachusetts Medical School
• Ruvkun: Professor at Harvard Medical School
• Prize: Diploma, gold medal, and $1 million check
• Formal ceremony on December 10 in Stockholm
• First Nobel Prize announced for 2024, with five more categories to follow

The Groundbreaking Discovery of MicroRNA

• Research focused on the small worm C. elegans
• MicroRNAs: Small, non-coding RNA molecules crucial for gene regulation
• Human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs
• Discovery revealed an entirely new dimension to gene regulation
• Essential for multicellular organisms, including humans
• Fundamentally important for organism development and function
• Conserved throughout evolution

Significance and Applications of MicroRNA

• Regulates gene expression, influencing various cellular processes:
  • Development
  • Differentiation
  • Proliferation
  • Apoptosis
• Potential use in diagnostics:
  • Biomarkers for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders
• Promising therapeutic targets:
  • Modulating miRNA activity to correct dysregulated gene expression
  • Explored for treating cancer, fibrosis, and viral infections (HIV, hepatitis)
• Role in personalized medicine:
  • Customizing treatments based on miRNA profiles
• Importance in understanding complex organisms:
  • Explains varying complexity despite similar gene numbers across species
• Key component in regulating genes in virtually all cells and tissues

The Journey from Discovery to Recognition

• Initial discovery in 1993 met with "deafening silence"
• Originally thought to be an oddity specific to C. elegans
• Ruvkun's subsequent discovery revealed presence throughout animal kingdom
• Field "exploded" after realizing broader implications
• Now, tens of thousands of microRNAs identified in different organisms
• Recognition anticipated by scientific community for years
• Demonstrates importance of basic research in advancing medical understanding
• Highlights potential for future clinical applications