{"id":136279,"date":"2024-10-08T20:18:32","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T14:48:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=editorial-analysis&#038;p=136279"},"modified":"2025-03-03T10:41:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T05:11:36","slug":"nobel-prize-for-medicine-out","status":"publish","type":"editorial-analysis","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/nobel-prize-for-medicine-out","title":{"rendered":"Nobel Prize 2024 for Medicine out: What exactly have the winners worked on"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their groundbreaking <\/span><b>discovery of microRNA <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and its pivotal<\/span><b> role in post-transcriptional gene regulation,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which has significantly advanced our understanding of gene expression and regulation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>MicroRNA\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MicroRNA are molecules that <\/span><b>help cells control their protein production.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proteins that cells produce play vital roles in almost all biological processes of living organisms.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In human bodies, for example, the protein haemoglobin transports oxygen, insulin helps absorption of glucose from blood, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, anything that impacts protein production can have consequences for human health.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Mechanism of Action<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Binding to mRNA: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MicroRNA attaches itself to another molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) in the cell&#8217;s cytoplasm.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Function of mRNA: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Normally, mRNA is responsible for carrying the instructions from DNA to make proteins.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Regulation of Protein Production: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, when microRNA binds to mRNA, it can change what happens next.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of mRNA being quickly turned into a protein, the <\/span><b>microRNA can either mark the mRNA for destruction<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014so its parts can be reused\u2014or<\/span><b> it can let the mRNA sit around for a while before it&#8217;s translated into protein later on.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, MicroRNAs function like a traffic light, determining whether a protein will be produced or not, thereby playing a vital role in cellular function and gene regulation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/nobel-prize-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nobel Prize 2024 Winners List<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Role of Ambros and Ruvkun\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun conducted their groundbreaking research on microRNA by studying the <\/span><b>tiny roundworm <\/b><b><i>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/i><\/b><b> (<\/b><b><i>C. elegans<\/i><\/b><b>),<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which shares <\/span><b>cell types with more complex animals.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their investigation focused on two mutant strains of these worms, <\/span><b>lin-4<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>lin-14<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which exhibited defects in the timing of genetic program activation during development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The researchers studied how the <\/span><b>lin-4<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>lin-14<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> genes functioned under normal conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Key Findings\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Identification of MicroRNA: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through their experiments, they found that the lin-4 gene controls the lin-14 gene by producing a very short RNA molecule. This short RNA molecule is known as microRNA.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Regulation Mechanism: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ruvkun showed that lin-4 does not stop the lin-14 gene from making mRNA.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead,<\/span><b> it regulates the process later on<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, specifically by shutting down the production of the protein that lin-14 would normally create.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means that while the mRNA might still be present, the microRNA can prevent the cell from making the protein that it encodes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.8996%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Note: Although the results of Ambros and Ruvkun&#8217;s 1993 study were initially overlooked, as gene regulation was believed to be limited to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">C. elegans<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, subsequent research revealed that microRNAs are present in all multicellular organisms, including humans.<\/span><\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Importance of Their Work<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The discovery of microRNA by Ambros and Ruvkun is significant for several reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Understanding Gene Regulation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MicroRNAs play a crucial role in gene regulation.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disruptions in this process can lead to serious diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and autoimmunity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Connection Between Genes: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their work established the connection between the <\/span><b>lin-4<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>lin-14<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> genes, shedding light on the complex mechanisms of gene expression and regulation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Research Opportunities: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This discovery has opened new avenues for research, enabling scientists to explore the role of microRNAs in various diseases and develop potential therapeutic strategies for tackling these conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The groundbreaking discovery of microRNA by Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun has profoundly advanced our understanding of gene regulation, with significant implications for human health and disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.043%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 130.811%; 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