Mon Oct 07 12:00:55 UTC 2024: ## Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for Discovery of MicroRNA

**Stockholm, Sweden (October 7, 2024):** The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been jointly awarded to American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNA and its vital role in gene regulation.

Ambros and Ruvkun’s research, conducted on the tiny worm C. elegans, unveiled a previously unknown mechanism of gene regulation that proved crucial for the development and function of multicellular organisms, including humans. This discovery revealed that microRNAs, small molecules coded by the human genome, play a fundamental role in controlling gene expression.

The Nobel committee highlighted the profound impact of their findings. Over 1,000 microRNAs have been identified in humans, demonstrating the vast scale of this regulatory system. MicroRNAs have been linked to various physiological processes, including development and disease. Abnormal regulation of microRNAs has been associated with cancer, and mutations in genes coding for these molecules have been linked to conditions like hearing loss, eye disorders, and skeletal abnormalities.

Both Ambros and Ruvkun are prominent figures in the scientific community. Ambros, currently Silverman Professor of Natural Science at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, earned his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Ruvkun, a professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, obtained his PhD from Harvard University.

Their discovery has opened up new avenues for understanding and treating human diseases. It represents a significant leap forward in the field of genetics and has paved the way for future research into the complex interplay between genes and microRNAs.

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