Thomas Perlmann, the Secretary General of the Nobel Committee, addresses the media while standing next to a photo of this year’s Nobel Prize winners in medicine, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, during the announcement on Monday. Getty Images
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to two American scientists, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, for their groundbreaking work on microRNA, a crucial molecule that influences how cells function in the body. Their research has significantly advanced our understanding of gene regulation, shedding light on how genes—the building blocks of life—lead to the diverse types of cells that make up the human body.
The Nobel Prize committee announced this prestigious honour in Sweden, highlighting the importance of their discovery. They praised Ambros and Ruvkun for revealing a new dimension to gene regulation, emphasizing how their work has changed the landscape of biological and medical research.
MicroRNA acts like a control switch for genes, helping cells determine which proteins to produce. This family of molecules has existed for hundreds of millions of years and plays a vital role in gene regulation. The collaboration between Ambros, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Ruvkun, a professor at Harvard Medical School, spanned decades, culminating in their significant discoveries.
According to Love Dalén, a professor of evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University, their findings are crucial for understanding cellular functions and organism development. He noted, “This finding was groundbreaking and has affected more or less all fields of biology and medicine.”
The Nobel Committee explained that while every cell in the body shares the same genetic material, different types of cells—like muscle and nerve cells—exhibit distinct characteristics. Ambros and Ruvkun’s research delved into how these differences emerge. They found that gene regulation allows each cell to activate only the necessary instructions, ensuring that the correct genes are expressed in each cell type.
The committee also pointed out that effective gene regulation has been instrumental in the evolution of complex organisms. When this regulation goes awry, it can lead to serious health issues, including cancer and various genetic disorders.
“MicroRNAs are very much implicated in cancer. There is ongoing research to make treatments or utilize microRNAs—mimicking or blocking them to treat cancer,” said Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of the Nobel Assembly. He acknowledged the challenges in developing these treatments but emphasized the importance of understanding microRNA for future clinical advancements.
Ambros and Ruvkun began their research on the tiny roundworm, C. elegans, a valuable model organism due to its simplicity and the presence of specialized cell types similar to those found in larger animals. Ambros discovered the first microRNA in 1993, but it was initially dismissed as an anomaly specific to this worm. It wasn't until Ruvkun identified another microRNA that the scientific community recognized their significance.
“Then the field exploded,” stated Olle Kämpe, a professor at the Karolinska Institutet and vice chair of the Nobel medicine committee. Since then, tens of thousands of microRNAs have been discovered across various organisms, showing their universal importance.
Many researchers have anticipated this recognition for Ambros and Ruvkun for years, given the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities microRNAs present for treating diseases, particularly cancer. Clinical trials are already exploring how microRNA profiling can improve patient outcomes.
Janosch Heller, a biomedical sciences assistant professor, expressed admiration for their work, saying it has revealed the complex regulatory mechanisms within our cells. Similarly, Joshua Rosenthal, a senior scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory, explained how the discovery of microRNA helps clarify why organisms with similar gene counts can exhibit such diversity in complexity.
Overall, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine honours the significant contributions of Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, whose discoveries continue to shape the future of biology and medicine.
