微小RNA,巨大的影响——Victor Ambros和Gary Ruvkun荣获2024年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖

MicroRNA,enormous impact——Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun win the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

2024年10月7日,瑞典卡罗林斯卡医学院宣布将诺贝尔生理学或医学奖授予美国科学家Victor Ambros和Gary Ruvkun,以表彰他们在微小RNA(micro RNA,miRNA)发现方面的贡献。miRNA是一类通过与信使RNA(messenger RNA,mRNA)结合来调控基因表达的小分子RNA,这一机制不仅广泛存在于秀丽隐杆线虫(C.elegans)等模式生物中,还在包括人类在内的多细胞生物中起重要作用。Ambros和Ruvkun的研究颠覆了传统的基因调控模式,揭示了RNA在基因表达中的核心地位。miRNA在细胞发育和分化中扮演关键角色,同时为研究癌症、心血管疾病和神经退行性疾病等提供了全新视角。该发现与RNA干扰技术共同丰富了RNA领域的研究,推动了RNA药物的开发。

On October 7,2024,the Karolinska Institute in Sweden awarded that the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun in recognition of their contributions to the discovery of microRNA(miRNA).miRNA is a class of small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by binding to messenger RNA(mRNA).This mechanism is not only widely present in model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans(C.elegans),but also plays a significant role in multicellular organisms,including humans.Ambros and Ruvkun s research has revolutionized the traditional understanding of gene regulation,revealing the central role of RNA in gene expression.miRNA plays a critical role in cell development and differentiation,offering new perspectives for studying cancer,cardiovascular diseases,and neurodegenerative disorders.The discovery,together with RNA interference(RNAi)technology,has enriched research in the RNA field and advanced the development of RNA-based therapeutics.