Scientists win Nobel prize for microRNA discovery

The Nobel Committee at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden on Monday awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Professor Victor Ambros of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Gary Ruvkun of Harvard Medical School received the prize. The pair discovered a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation in multicellular organisms, said the Nobel Foundation. MicroRNAs have proved to be fundamental to how genetics function and are regulated in organisms, including humans, the foundation said. The human genome codes for over a thousand microRNAs.

How will the discovery be used? Examining MicroRNA gives insight into how healthy cells develop and function, said Nobel Committee For Physiology Vice Chairman Olle Kampe. Scientists can see how cancerous cells, that form tumors, disrupt microRNA networks, Kampe explained. Seeing how diseased cells grow can give scientists new understanding to develop drugs for treatment, he said. More microRNA research could also yield more diagnostics and treatments, Kampe added.

The Nobel Committee will continue honoring consequential contributions to the field of physics on Tuesday and contributions to chemistry on Wednesday. The 2024 Nobel Prize for literature will also be announced on Thursday, followed by the Peace Prize on Friday.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the 2023 medical Nobel Prize winners from the University of Pennsylvania.