Pioneers of microRNA: Ambros and Ruvkun Win Nobel Prize for Medicine

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their microRNA discovery, revolutionizing our understanding of gene regulation. This pivotal scientific breakthrough helps explain how cells differentiate and could be instrumental in treating diseases caused by gene regulation errors.

In an announcement made on Monday, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun. Recognized for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNA—a new class of tiny RNA molecules playing a pivotal role in gene regulation—the two scientists have been acknowledged for their critical contributions to the field.

The prestigious honor was bestowed by the Karolinska Institutet, lauding the duo's research on the small worm C. elegans. Their work has unveiled a new principle of gene regulation, proving vital for multicellular organisms, including humans. MicroRNAs are now considered fundamentally important for development and function across species.

Ambros and Ruvkun's initial findings, published in 1993, detailed a novel level of gene regulation, highly conserved through evolutionary history. Their research demonstrates how gene regulation ensures the correct expression of genes in different cell types, which is crucial for normal cellular function and development and, when disrupted, may cause diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

(With inputs from agencies.)