Two Americans Win Nobel Prize in Medicine for microRNA Discovery

Two Americans have won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of genetic material called microRNA.

Victor Ambros is a professor at the University of Massachusetts and Gary Ruvkun is a Harvard University professor.

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, a group of 50 professors, decided to award the two for identifying genetic molecules that help control how genes work.

The Nobel Assembly said the discovery is “proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function.”

In explaining the importance of the work, the group said it “revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.”

RNA and microRNA

RNA takes genetic information from DNA through a process called transcription. RNA then becomes involved in protein production or other activities within the cell.

Ambros and Ruvkun found that microRNA, or very short chains of molecules, are needed for normal genetic development. The committee said changes in the way that microRNA functions can lead to major genetic changes, or mutations, over time. Nobel's website said the changes can lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and autoimmune diseases.

Ambros carried out research that helped lead to the discovery at Harvard University. Ruvkun researched at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Early research

At first, Ambros and Ruvkun were interested in genes that control when genetic developments take place. These developments ensure that different kinds of cells develop at the right time.

The scientists studied the genetic material of a one-millimeter-long worm C. elegans which is commonly used for research. They studied two mutant strains of worms that displayed defects in the timing of activation of genetic programs during development. They wanted to identify the mutated genes in the worms and what the genes did.

After some time, they finally found that microRNA controlled the mutation. They also believe that this mutation has permitted organisms to change, or evolve, over hundreds of millions of years.

Dr. Claire Fletcher is a cancer researcher with Imperial College London. Fletcher said the discovery of microRNA has opened new ways for treating cancer.

Fletcher said that microRNA provides genetic instructions that tell cells to make new proteins. “MicroRNA alters how genes in the cell work,” said Fletcher, who is not associated with the Nobel prize.

“We can take a microRNA that we know alters the activity of that gene and we can deliver that particular microRNA to cancer cells to stop that mutated gene from having its effect,” Fletcher added.

Last year's Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology was also awarded for developments related to RNA. Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman were recognized for discoveries that enabled messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines for COVID-19.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is valued at about $1 million. Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel established the Nobel Prizes to recognize important discoveries that have aided humanity.

Thomas Perlmann is the Secretary-General of the Nobel Committee. He said it took a long time before Ruvkun came to the phone, but he was “happy, when he understood what it was all about.”

I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.

Daniel Niemann, Mike Corder and Maria Cheng reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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fundamentally –adv. forming the most basic or important part of something

function –n. the job that something does

principle –n. a fact or law of nature that explains how something works

essential –adj. very important

alter –v. to change