Reacción a "Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology awarded to Ambros and Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNAs and their role in gene regulation"

The discovery of miRNAs, small RNA molecules that modulate the amount of protein produced by genes, was a true revolution in all fields of biology and medicine. First of all, they were a further step in deconstructing the dogma of molecular biology, since they showed that RNAs, not just proteins, could regulate the expression of genes in the genome. This opened the door to the discovery of more and more complex regulatory networks based on non-coding RNAs, including, for example, other longer RNA molecules. Second, as it became clear that regulation by miRNAs was not the exception but the rule, their relevance in virtually every field of biomedical research was studied and demonstrated: from the evolution of living organisms to embryonic development and the progression of cancer and other diseases. miRNAs turned out to be an essential part of almost all gene circuits and, therefore, all biomedical researchers have come across miRNAs, to a greater or lesser extent, at some point in our careers.

This award is a further recognition of the paramount importance of basic science, curiosity-driven research. As in many other cases, unexpected and potentially anecdotal observations led to an explosion of new practical opportunities and a revolution in our understanding of life.