U.S. scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNA and its significant role in the growth and development of multicellular organisms. Their research has shed light on how cells specialize and differentiate into various types, such as muscle and nerve cells, despite containing the same genetic material.
Ruvkun expressed his excitement about being recognized by the prestigious Nobel Prize, comparing it to “The Show” in Major League Baseball. He jokingly mentioned that he and Ambros had been inseparable due to their collaboration and previous accolades. Ambros echoed this sentiment, stating that he was thrilled to share the award with his “great friend.”
The Nobel Assembly acknowledged that Ambros and Ruvkun’s discovery unveiled a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. This breakthrough has revealed a fundamental principle of gene regulation essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
Ambros described microRNA as a communication network among genes that enables our bodies’ cells to generate complex structures and functions. He is currently a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, while Ruvkun holds positions at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Their research initially focused on studying roundworms during their postdoctorate studies under Robert Horvitz’s guidance—a Nobel laureate himself in 2002. Although their findings were initially dismissed as species-specific, they later discovered how certain microRNAs govern organ growth in roundworms.
The significance of messenger RNA (mRNA) emerged from this research as it originates from the universal blueprint found within every cell nucleus—double-helix DNA.
Experts believe that this year’s prize represents a leap forward in basic understanding with numerous potential applications beyond COVID-19 vaccines—an area highlighted by last year’s medicine prize winners Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman.
Selected by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute medical university, winners receive an award sum of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million). The physiology or medicine prize is traditionally announced first among the prestigious Nobel Prizes awarded annually for achievements in science, literature, peacekeeping efforts (presented separately), economics (added later), since Alfred Nobel established them through his will in 1901.
Past recipients include renowned researchers like Ivan Pavlov (1904) known for behavioral experiments using dogs; Alexander Fleming (1945) who discovered penicillin; Katalin Kariko; Drew Weissman; among others.
The laureates will be honored during a ceremony on December 10th—the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death—followed by an opulent banquet at Stockholm City Hall.