The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was jointly awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun "for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation”.
This is stated in a press release on the Nobel Prize website.
Researchers Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun discovered miRNAs, a new class of micro RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. They discovered microRNA in the small worm “C. elegans”, which became a revolutionary discovery — it showed a completely new principle of gene regulation, which is necessary for multicellular organisms, in particular for humans.
Currently, it is known that microRNAs are fundamentally important for the development and functioning of organisms.
"This yearʼs Nobel Prize is dedicated to the discovery of a vital regulatory mechanism used in cells to control gene activity. Genetic information is transferred from DNA to messenger RNA (microRNA) by a process called transcription, and then to the cellular machinery for protein production. There, microRNAs are translated so that proteins are formed according to genetic instructions stored in DNA," the press release explains.
Proteins perform many functions in the body, including building tissues, maintaining cell structures, participating in metabolic processes, and protecting the body.
- The Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious international prizes awarded annually for outstanding scientific research, revolutionary inventions, or a significant contribution to culture or social development.
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