Oct 7, 2024 - Science

American scientists win Nobel Prize in medicine for microRNA discovery

Ivana Saric

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun — The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun on Oct. 7. Photo: Atila Altuntas/Anadolu via Getty Images

American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for their discovery of microRNA, which plays a critical role in gene regulation.

Why it matters: Understanding gene regulation has been a key goal for scientists for decades. When the process goes wrong, it can lead to diseases like cancer or diabetes, the Nobel committee said in a press release.

The pair discovered a new strand of small RNA molecules that help explain how cells develop into different into kinds of cells, like muscle cells or nerve cells, within the body, per the committee.
"Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans," the committee stated.

Zoom in: Ambros, 70, is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Ruvkun, 72, is a professor at Harvard Medical School and is also affiliated with Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital.

The big picture: Gunilla Karlsson Hedestam, an expert in immunology and chair of the Nobel Committee, said at a press conference Monday that the discovery of microRNAs is the first step to "developing applications."

There are a number of ongoing microRNA trials aimed at combating cancer, cardiovascular and kidney disease, though the trials are not yet close to constituting an application of the discovery, she added.

Go deeper: Scientists behind mRNA vaccines win Nobel Prize in Medicine

Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect that Ruvkun is 72.

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American scientists win Nobel Prize in medicine for microRNA discovery

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