MIGAL Galilee Research Institute’s Post

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet has today decided to award the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. This year’s Nobel Prize honors two scientists for their discovery of a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated. The information stored within our chromosomes can be likened to an instruction manual for all cells in our body. Every cell contains the same chromosomes, so every cell contains exactly the same set of genes and exactly the same set of instructions. Yet, different cell types, such as muscle and nerve cells, have very distinct characteristics. How do these differences arise? The answer lies in gene regulation, which allows each cell to select only the relevant instructions. This ensures that only the correct set of genes is active in each cell type. This year’s medicine laureates Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were interested in how different cell types develop. They discovered microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. It is now known that the human genome codes for over one thousand microRNAs. Their surprising discovery revealed an entirely new dimension to gene regulation. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function. Image Credits: The Nobel Prize

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet has today decided to award the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. This year’s Nobel Prize honors two scientists for their discovery of a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated. The information stored within our chromosomes can be likened to an instruction manual for all cells in our body. Every cell contains the same chromosomes, so every cell contains exactly the same set of genes and exactly the same set of instructions. Yet, different cell types, such as muscle and nerve cells, have very distinct characteristics. How do these differences arise? The answer lies in gene regulation, which allows each cell to select only the relevant instructions. This ensures that only the correct set of genes is active in each cell type. This year’s medicine laureates Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were interested in how different cell types develop. They discovered microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. It is now known that the human genome codes for over one thousand microRNAs. Their surprising discovery revealed an entirely new dimension to gene regulation. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function. Image Credits: Nobel Prize

Unlocking the secrets of our cellular blueprint: How gene organization impacts our health. Ever wondered why some genetic diseases seem so hard to tackle? The answer often lies deep within our cells, in the process of mRNA splicing. It's a bit like editing a film: you want to keep the good scenes (exons) and cut out the bad ones (introns) to tell a clear story. But sometimes, the editing goes awry, leading to diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. A recent breakthrough study published in Nature, titled "Genome organization around nuclear speckles drives mRNA splicing efficiency", sheds light on this intricate process. The research is pivotal because it addresses a fundamental question: how does the spatial arrangement of our genes affect the editing of mRNA? This isn't just academic curiosity; inefficient splicing is linked to serious health issues. The study reveals that genes are not randomly thrown into the cell nucleus; they're meticulously organized around structures called nuclear speckles. These speckles act like specialized workshops where mRNA splicing is fine-tuned for efficiency. It's as if the genes move closer to the editing suite to ensure a flawless final product. This discovery is crucial because it opens up new avenues for medical science. By understanding the 'where' and 'how' of gene organization, we can potentially develop therapies that correct splicing errors at their root, offering hope for treatments of various genetic diseases. But there's more to be done. The future of mRNA splicing research promises to delve deeper into this spatial genome organization, aiming to unravel the full potential of gene therapy and tackle diseases that were once thought untreatable. - #Genetics - #MedicalResearch - #GeneTherapy - #mRNAsplicing - #Biotechnology - #HealthcareInnovation - #ScienceForAll - #NatureJournal The accompanying image is suggestive of a visual metaphor, such as a film editing suite with 'genes' queuing up to be 'edited' by 'nuclear speckles', could make the concept accessible and engaging for a broad audience.

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet has today decided to award the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. This year’s Nobel Prize honors two scientists for their discovery of a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated. The information stored within our chromosomes can be likened to an instruction manual for all cells in our body. Every cell contains the same chromosomes, so every cell contains exactly the same set of genes and exactly the same set of instructions. Yet, different cell types, such as muscle and nerve cells, have very distinct characteristics. How do these differences arise? The answer lies in gene regulation, which allows each cell to select only the relevant instructions. This ensures that only the correct set of genes is active in each cell type. This year’s medicine laureates Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were interested in how different cell types develop. They discovered microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. It is now known that the human genome codes for over one thousand microRNAs. Their surprising discovery revealed an entirely new dimension to gene regulation. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function. Image Credits: Nobel Prize

I’m delighted to share a paper that deep into the history and evolution of the open-access journal Gene Expression. With a remarkable legacy and a forward-thinking mission, this publication has established itself as a key platform for joining fundamental biology and translational medicine. If you’re excited about innovative research and its impact on medical applications, I encourage you to explore this paper and learn more about the role of Gene Expression in connecting these critical fields. 📩 We also invite researchers to contribute by submitting their manuscripts to the journal. Join us in advancing science and making an impact! "Advancing Human Health Through the Lens of Gene Expression". Amancio Carnero, Hua Wang. doi:10.14218/GE.2025.00000

Scientists identify potential therapeutic targets for progressive supranuclear palsy Robust gene expression research in humans, mice, and fruit flies has revealed three potential drug targets for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Scientists used systems biology approaches — methods of studying how all the parts of a living organism work together — to identify potential therapeutic strategies based on changes in gene expression in specific types of brain cells. Results from the NIA-funded study were published in Nature Communications. https://lnkd.in/gVqY4G-J

We’re still learning all the ‘hidden’ secrets of how complex the human genome really is—and how that complexity affects gene regulation & expression. We now know that when chromatin goes through remodeling—there is an change in gene expression. It’s also known that the genome goes through ‘stirring’ or motion during transcription. Basically—the genome gets reorganized & repositioned in the nucleus each time a gene is transcribed. The mechanisms behind transcription-dependent motions of single genes, isn’t well understood but is though that the dysfunction of those motions could potentially lead to the development of neurological or cardiovascular diseases…or even cancer. Using CRISPR to place a fluorescent label on specific single genes, and then making use of both two-color high resolution live cell microscopy & displacement correlation spectroscopy, researchers were able to ‘map’ the motion of genome during transcription. Not surprisingly—when the chromatin is relaxed to allow transcription of a gene—that transcription is driving the motion of the genome (as ‘space’ is needed for the chromatin to relax for transcription). When there is no active ‘transcription’ within a chromosome, the chromatin is tightly packed & that is what is ‘driving’ the motion of the chromatin. Basically—genes don’t have to be actively transcribed in order for the chromatin to be ‘moving’ around in the nucleus. Which all makes sense…as cells aren’t ‘static’…they’re constantly doing things…because we’re constantly doing things (even if we’re just sitting at the computer typing this up)… It will be interesting to see how this understanding of single gene transcription driving genome wide motions can be ‘correlated’ to the development of diseases (such as different neurological, cardiovascular or even cancer). #geneexpression #generegulation #chromatin #microscopy #spectroscopy #CRISPR #cellcultures 

Our work, STew (Spatial Transcriptomic multi-viEW) to jointly model gene expression & spatial info for single-cell spatial transcriptomics data has been published at Bioinformatics Advances, Oxford University Press Read here: https://lnkd.in/gnszkU2q University of Colorado Medicine University of Colorado School of Medicine University of Colorado Department of Biomedical Informatics #DataScience #AI #Bioinformatics #Spatial

BREAKING NEWS The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet has today decided to award the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. This year’s Nobel Prize honours two scientists for their discovery of a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated. The information stored within our chromosomes can be likened to an instruction manual for all cells in our body. Every cell contains the same chromosomes, so every cell contains exactly the same set of genes and exactly the same set of instructions. Yet, different cell types, such as muscle and nerve cells, have very distinct characteristics. How do these differences arise? The answer lies in gene regulation, which allows each cell to select only the relevant instructions. This ensures that only the correct set of genes is active in each cell type. This year’s medicine laureates Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were interested in how different cell types develop. They discovered microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. It is now known that the human genome codes for over one thousand microRNAs. Their surprising discovery revealed an entirely new dimension to gene regulation. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function source " Nobel prize Facebook page" Learn more Press release: https://bit.ly/3BiM2o9 Advanced information: https://bit.ly/3N6vAtK

𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗡𝗔-𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗥𝘅! Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a groundbreaking technology using a deactivated CRISPR protein (dCasRx) to precisely control RNA splicing. This allows for targeted activation or repression of alternative exons, diversifying human gene function. This has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of gene regulation and function, opening doors for: 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 (cancers, brain disorders) #RNAsplicing #CRISPR #dCasRx #GeneRegulation #GeneTherapy #MedicalResearch #UniversityofToronto