The Nobel Prize in Medecine 2024 goes to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkin or the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.
Think about your body.
It's made up of many different types of cells - skin cells, muscle cells, brain cells, and so on. Each of these cells does a different job, but here's the interesting part: every single cell in your body contains exactly the same DNA, which is like a huge instruction book.
This brings up a puzzle: if every cell has the same instructions, how do different cells do different jobs? Why doesn't your skin cell try to act like a brain cell?
What Ambros and Ruvkun discovered is one of the key answers to this puzzle.
They found tiny molecules (called microRNAs) that work like "OFF switches" in cells.
These switches can turn off specific instructions in the DNA book, so each type of cell only uses the instructions it needs.
For example:
In a muscle cell, these switches turn off instructions for making brain cell parts
In a skin cell, they turn off instructions for making muscle cell parts
How They Made the Discovery.
They worked with tiny worms called C. elegans.
The path to discovering microRNAs began with some remarkably humble creatures - tiny worms known as C. elegans. These minuscule animals, barely visible to the naked eye at just one millimeter in length, proved to be perfect subjects for studying how bodies develop.
Their simplicity was actually their strength: scientists could observe their entire development through a microscope, watching as they grew from egg to adult in just a matter of days. Even better, these worms are transparent, allowing researchers to see every cell inside their bodies as they developed.
They noticed some worms had problems growing up normally.
While studying these worms, Ambros and Ruvkun noticed something peculiar. Some of the worms weren't developing normally - it was as if their bodies were confused about timing, like a child trying to become a teenager before properly finishing childhood. This abnormal development sparked their curiosity and led them to look more closely at what might be causing this strange growth pattern.
Looking closer at these unusual worms, they found two important genes
As they investigated these unusual worms, they identified two important genes that seemed to be at the heart of the problem. They discovered that one gene, which they called lin-4, appeared to be stopping another gene, lin-14, from working. This was intriguing, but also puzzling - they couldn't figure out exactly how one gene was able to shut down the other.
I imagine it as it was like seeing the beginning and end of a magic trick without understanding how it was performed.
The breakthrough came when they discovered something unexpected
The real breakthrough came when they made an unexpected discovery. Normally, genes work by producing proteins - it's like following a blueprint to make tools that the cell needs. But when they looked at the lin-4 gene, they found something completely different. This gene wasn't making a protein at all. Instead, it was producing a tiny piece of RNA, which we now know as microRNA. This was revolutionary - it was like discovering that some blueprints don't make tools at all, but instead make stop signs that prevent other blueprints from being used.
Why is it so important that it wins a Nobel prize?
It revolutionised cellular biology
The discovery of microRNAs revolutionized our understanding of genetics in a way that few could have predicted. When Ambros and Ruvkun made their groundbreaking finding, scientists believed they had a fairly complete picture of how genes were controlled.
Finding microRNAs was the same than discovering a hidden room in a house we thought we knew inside and out. It revealed an entirely new mechanism by which cells control their genes, fundamentally changing our understanding of cellular biology.
It was fundamental to better understand life itself.
After the initial finding in tiny worms, scientists quickly realized that microRNAs are present in all complex living things. From the smallest plants to the largest animals, including humans, every complex organism uses these microscopic regulators. This universality suggests that microRNAs represent an ancient and essential system that evolved hundreds of millions of years ago, becoming an indispensable part of life as we know it.
It helped resolved medical mysteries
The discovery of microRNAs also provided answers to several long-standing mysteries in biology. It helped explain how different types of cells, all containing identical DNA, can develop and function so differently from each other. It shed light on how complex organisms can develop from a single cell into a fully formed being with various specialized tissues and organs. Perhaps most importantly, it helped us understand why certain genetic diseases occur when this regulatory system goes awry.
It has opened new avenues for medical research and treatment
The medical implications of this discovery cannot be overstated. We now know that many diseases occur when microRNAs don't function properly. Cancer, diabetes, and various developmental disorders that affect babies before birth have all been linked to problems with microRNA regulation. This understanding has opened up entirely new avenues for medical research and treatment.
Looking to the future, scientists are actively using this knowledge to develop innovative medical treatments. Some researchers are working on creating artificial microRNAs that could turn off harmful genes, while others are developing ways to block natural microRNAs when they cause problems. These potential treatments could revolutionize how we approach a wide range of diseases, from cancer to genetic disorders.[1]
To make it simple
Imagine you've always thought cars only had a gas pedal (accelerator). Then someone discovers that cars also have brakes! This completely changes how we understand driving. The discovery of microRNAs was like finding out cells have brakes (microRNAs) as well as gas pedals (other gene controls).
Nobel Prizes are given for discoveries that:
Change how we understand the world
Have a big impact on many areas of science
Help improve human health and wellbeing
The discovery of microRNAs checks all these boxes. It changed our understanding of biology, impacts many areas of research, and is leading to new medical treatments.
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