2 US scientists get Medicine Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was on Monday awarded to US scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, tiny pieces of genetic material that alter how genes work at the cellular level and could lead to new ways of treating cancer.
MicroRNA discovery may help treat cancer
- MicroRNA is a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated at cellular level
- Provides genetic instructions to tell cells to make new proteins; it is helpful in developing drugs
- It has opened up scientists’ approach to treat diseases such as cancer by helping to regulate genes
The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, which awarded the prize, said the discovery was “proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function”.
“Their ground-breaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans,” the assembly said in a statement explaining the importance of their work. The prize carries a cash award of 11 mn Swedish kronor ($1 mn) from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The announcement launched this year’s Nobel prizes award season.
Ambros performed the research at Harvard University. He is currently a professor of natural science at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Ruvkun’s research was performed at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School, where he is a professor of genetics, said Thomas Perlmann, Secretary-General of the Nobel Committee.
Ambros and Ruvkun, the assembly explained, were initially interested in genes that control the timing of different genetic developments, ensuring that cell types develop at the right time. The Nobel committee said Ambros and Ruvkun’s discovery ultimately “revealed a new dimension to gene regulation, essential for all complex life forms”.
MicroRNA have opened up scientists’ approaches to treating diseases like cancer by helping to regulate how genes work at the cellular level, according to Dr Claire Fletcher, a lecturer in molecular oncology at Imperial College London.
Fletcher said microRNA provided genetic instructions to tell cells to make new proteins and that there were two main areas where microRNA could be helpful — in developing drugs to treat diseases and in serving as biomarkers.
Nobel announcements will continue with the physics prize on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday and the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences on October 14. The laureates are invited to receive their awards at ceremonies on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.
