This year the Nobel Prize in Medicine went to Victor Ambros, currently Professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Gary Ruvkunprofessor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. The two men won the prize for their discovery of microRNA. One of the key questions in science is to discover how we can have such differentiated cells (brain cells, muscles, bones, nerves) when all cells have the same DNA. The key is genetic regulation, where each cell only selects the DNA instructions that are relevant to its particular function. A key question is how this genetic regulation occurs.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were interested in how different types of cells develop. They discovered microRNA, a new class of small RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. It is now known that the human genome encodes more than a thousand microRNAs. Their surprising discovery revealed a completely new dimension in gene regulation. MicroRNAs are proving to be of fundamental importance for the development and functioning of organisms…
Many of the initial discoveries around microRNA were made by investigating a 1 mm long roundworm known as C. elegans. They discovered that very small sections of RNA, now known as microRNA, do not code for specific proteins, but instead inhibit the production of specific proteins. The real-world implications of microRNA are enormous.
We know from genetic research that cells and tissues do not develop normally without microRNA. Abnormal regulation by microRNAs can contribute to cancer, and mutations in genes encoding microRNAs have been found in humans, causing conditions such as congenital hearing loss and ocular and skeletal disorders.
You can read more about microRNA and about Nobel Prize winners Ambros and Ruvken. here.
