Nobel prize for medicine goes to mRNA work behind covid-19 vaccines
New ScientistJUL 2023
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun's remarkable discovery of microRNA earned them this year's Nobel Prize in Medicine. The two scientists have uncovered a new level of understanding in the development and function of multicellular organisms, including humans, with the potential to help further research about cancer and other diseases.
While there are multiple microRNA studies aimed at treating cancer and other diseases, any potential applications are far away. This discovery is an important step, but as cancer rates continue to rise, the best approach is to focus on disease prevention strategies. Regrettably, treatment alone will never be enough.
There's a 50% chance that there will be a breakthrough in the treatment of hard-to-treat cancers by at least the timeframe 2031-2036.