Celebrating the Nobel Prize in Medicine 2024: A Milestone for the microRNA Field

I am beyond thrilled to see the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their pioneering discovery of microRNAs—tiny molecules that have revolutionized our understanding of gene regulation. Their groundbreaking work laid the foundation for an area of research that I have been passionately engaged in for nearly two decades.

Since 2000, I have dedicated my career to exploring the potential of microRNAs, both as prognostic biomarkers in cancer and as key players in embryonic development. My doctoral thesis in 2008 focused on this very field, and it has been truly rewarding to witness how much our collective knowledge has grown over the years.

Given that their discovery was rooted in developmental biology, it feels fitting to share our most recent study, which also focuses on microRNAs in human development. In this case, we explored their role in human lung development and differentiation:

Acosta-Plasencia, M., Castellano, J.J., Díaz, T. et al. Discovering genes and microRNAs involved in human lung development unveils IGFBP3/miR-34a dynamics and their relevance for alveolar differentiation. Stem Cell Res Ther 15, 263 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-024-03883-1

The recognition of Ambros and Ruvkun is not only a personal inspiration, but also a reminder of the incredible potential that microRNAs hold for advancing human health. I am deeply proud to have contributed to this evolving field and excited for what the future holds.

#NobelPrize #microRNA #CancerResearch #EmbryonicDevelopment #ProudResearcher