World

Nobel Prize in medicine honours two Americans over discovery of microRNA

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were honoured for the discovery, which is of fundamental importance in shedding light on gene activity, judges said.

Nobel Prize announcements will be made this week (Christine Olsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Nobel Prize announcements will be made this week (Christine Olsson/TT News Agency via AP) (Henrik Montgomery/AP)
By Daniel Niemann and Mike Corder, AP

The Nobel Prize in medicine has been awarded to Americans Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated.

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

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.

Victor Ambros is the Silverman Chair in Natural Sciences and professor of molecular medicine at the University of Massachusetts (UMass via AP)
Victor Ambros is the Silverman Chair in Natural Sciences and professor of molecular medicine at the University of Massachusetts (UMass via AP) (AP)

Dr Fletcher said microRNA provide genetic instructions to tell cells to make new proteins and that there are two main areas where microRNA could be helpful: in developing drugs to treat diseases, and in serving as biomarkers.

“MicroRNA alters how genes in the cell work,” she said.

Join the Irish News Whatsapp channel

“If we take the example of cancer, we’ll have a particular gene working overtime, it might be mutated and working in overdrive,” she said.

“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.”

Mr Ambrose carried out the research that led to his prize at Harvard University. He is currently a professor of natural science at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Mr Ruvkun’s research was undertaken 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.

Mr Perlmann said he spoke to Mr Ruvkun by phone shortly before the announcement.

“It took a long time before he came to the phone and sounded very tired, but he quite rapidly was quite excited and happy, when he understood what it was all about,” Mr Perlmann said.

Gary Ruvkun conducted his research at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School (Joshua Touster via AP)
Gary Ruvkun conducted his research at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School (Joshua Touster via AP) (Joshua Touster/AP)

Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Hungarian-American Katalin Kariko and American Drew Weissman for discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA vaccines against Covid-19 that were critical in slowing the coronavirus pandemic.

The prize carries a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (£807,000) from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel.

The announcement launched this year’s Nobel prizes award season.

Announcements will continue with the physics prize on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday.

The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, while the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences winner will be revealed on October 14.

The laureates are invited to receive their awards at ceremonies on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.