Micro RNA
News
Nobel Prize in Medicine 2024 awarded for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun.
Micro RNA
- MicroRNAs, or miRNAs, are small, non-coding molecules of RNA. They are typically around 19-24 nucleotides long and play an important role in determining how much messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries genetic information, eventually gets translated into protein.
- The body makes proteins through a complex process involving two broad steps: transcription and translation. During transcription, a cell copies a DNA sequence into messenger RNA (mRNA) in the nucleus. The mRNA then moves from the nucleus through the cell fluid and attaches itself to the ribosome. During translation, another type of RNA called transfer RNA (tRNA) ‘brings’ amino acids to the ribosome, where they are linked together in the order specified by the mRNA to make a protein.
- MicroRNA or miRNA regulates the production of proteins by bonding with and silencing the mRNA at an appropriate juncture. This process is called post-transcriptional gene regulation.
Applications
- Explains how cells specialize and develop into different types, such as muscle and nerve cells, despite all cells in an individual containing the same set of genes. This precise regulation of gene activity ensures that only the correct set of genes is active in each specific cell type, allowing muscle cells, intestinal cells, and various types of nerve cells to perform their specialized functions.
- Cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases are associated with dysregulated microRNA expression. disruption and dysfunction of microRNAs can initiate the production of autoantibodies and contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
- Several microRNA-associated diagnostic biomarkers have been developed and are used clinically, though they have yet to be commercialized.
- Likewise,Candidate drugs targeting microRNAs are currently being tested in clinical trials.
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