Ambros and Ruvkun Win 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, two American scientists, have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNA, which regulates gene activity and is crucial for the development and function of multicellular organisms. Their research has transformed our understanding of gene regulation, highlighting the role of over 1,000 microRNAs in gene expression and cellular specialization. The Nobel Assembly emphasized that their findings are fundamental to biology and medicine, potentially leading to advancements in treating diseases. Ambros conducted his research at Harvard University and is now a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, while Ruvkun's work was done at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The prize, amounting to 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.05 million), is part of the series of Nobel announcements, with other categories to follow. This award follows last year's Nobel Prize in Medicine, which recognized the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.