MicroRNA is a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.
Micro RNA, a subcellular structure that helps cells regulate the amount of protein that is synthesised through its role in gene expression. It is a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. The groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“This year’s Nobel Prize honors two scientists for their discovery of a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated. The information stored within our chromosomes can be likened to an instruction manual for all cells in our body. Every cell contains the same chromosomes, so every cell contains exactly the same set of genes and exactly the same set of instructions. Yet, different cell types, such as muscle and nerve cells, have very distinct characteristics. How do these differences arise? The answer lies in gene regulation, which allows each cell to select only the relevant instructions. This ensures that only the correct set of genes is active in each cell type,” reads the announcement by the committee.
Both Ambros and Ruvkun had worked in the laboratory of Robert Horvitz who had received the Nobel Prize in 2002 along with two others for their work on the gene regulation for programmed cell death that keeps diseases like cancer at bay. Ambros is currently with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, while Ruvkun is attached to the Massaschusetts General Hospital, Boston and also to Harvard Medical School.
