Key Points
- Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize for discovering microRNAs.
- MicroRNAs regulate gene expression by blocking messenger RNA from producing proteins.
- Discovery shifted the understanding of gene regulation across species, with implications for treating diseases.
- The Nobel Committee emphasized the importance of curiosity in research.
Geneticists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNAs, tiny RNA molecules that play a critical role in regulating gene expression in multicellular organisms. Ambros of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Ruvkun of Massachusetts General Hospital share the prize and its 11 million Swedish kroner ($1 million) reward, granted by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
MicroRNAs are short RNA strands that regulate gene expression, preventing messenger RNA from producing proteins. These molecules are involved in essential processes such as embryonic development and cell function and have been implicated in the progression of cancers and other diseases. Their discovery has reshaped scientists’ understanding of gene regulation and its impact on complex biological systems.
Ambros and Ruvkun’s journey began in 1993 when they identified two genes, lin-4 and lin-14, involved in developing the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. They discovered that the lin-4 gene blocked the activity of lin-14, not by producing a protein, but by creating a short RNA strand—now recognized as a microRNA—this microRNA attached to the lin-14 messenger RNA, preventing protein production in a process known as translation.
Initially, the discovery was seen as specific to roundworms. However, in 2000, Ruvkun’s team identified a second microRNA shared by humans, mice, and other animals, revealing that microRNAs are conserved across many species. This finding caused a seismic shift in the field, as researchers realized they had overlooked an entire layer of gene regulation.
Despite the importance of the discovery, understanding how microRNAs work remains complex. A single microRNA can influence hundreds of genes, and multiple microRNAs control many genes. Although microRNA therapeutics are in their early stages, scientists hope to one day harness these regulators to treat diseases.
The Nobel Prize committee highlighted the discovery as a testament to the power of curiosity-driven research. What began as an investigation into two unusual worms led to a revolutionary new understanding of gene regulation, illustrating the beauty and unpredictability of scientific discovery.
