Nobel Prize in Medicine 2024 awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for groundbreaking mRNA discovery
PTC News Desk: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2024 has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNA and its critical role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.
The genetic information contained within our chromosomes serves as an instructional manual for all cells in the body. Although every cell shares the same genetic blueprint, distinct cell types—such as muscle and nerve cells—exhibit unique characteristics. This differentiation occurs through gene regulation, wherein each cell selectively activates only the genes necessary for its specific functions.
Ambros and Ruvkun's inquiry into the formation of different cell types led them to identify microRNAs, which are tiny RNA molecules that significantly influence gene regulation. Their findings introduced a revolutionary concept in gene regulation that is now recognized as essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. The human genome contains over a thousand microRNAs, each vital for various developmental processes and functions.
The Nobel Prize announcement elaborated, "This year’s Nobel Prize focuses on the discovery of a vital regulatory mechanism used in cells to control gene activity. Genetic information flows from DNA to messenger RNA (mRNA) through a process called transcription, which then guides the cellular machinery for protein production. In this process, mRNAs are translated so that proteins are synthesised according to the genetic instructions encoded in DNA."
Victor Ambros was born in 1953 in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. He earned his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1979 and continued his research as a postdoctoral researcher there until 1985. He then became a Principal Investigator at Harvard University. From 1992 to 2007, he served as a Professor at Dartmouth Medical School, and he currently holds the position of Silverman Professor of Natural Science at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA.
Gary Ruvkun was born in 1952 in Berkeley, California, USA. He received his PhD from Harvard University in 1982 and subsequently completed postdoctoral work at MIT from 1982 to 1985. In 1985, he became a Principal Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he is currently a Professor of Genetics.
The prestigious Nobel Prize is awarded annually by the Nobel Assembly, which consists of 50 professors at the Karolinska Institutet. This esteemed award recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of medicine for the benefit of humanity.
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was previously awarded to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their pioneering discoveries related to nucleoside base modifications, which were instrumental in developing effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
Each October, the announcement of the Nobel Prizes generates widespread anticipation, as committees convene in Stockholm and Oslo to reveal the laureates. Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize has honored scientists whose discoveries have significantly benefited humanity.
The legacy of the Nobel Prize is rooted in the will of its founder, inventor, and businessman Alfred Nobel, who stipulated that his fortune be used to reward those who “shall have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind” in the preceding year.
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- With inputs from agencies
