Nobel Prize MicroRNA also plays a major role in Swiss research

The discovery of microRNA, which was honored with the Nobel Prize for Medicine, is also important for Swiss research. Researchers from various disciplines are working with it, Markus Stoffel from ETH Zurich told the Keystone-SDA news agency.

"The Nobel Prize for this is absolutely justified," said Stoffel. It is a very important discovery.

Although there is no microRNA (miRNA) therapy on the market yet, there are already advanced programs. Researchers are investigating microRNA-based therapies for various diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

"It can be assumed that there will be drugs based on miRNA drugs in the future," said Stoffel. Corresponding research is also being conducted in Switzerland.

MicroRNAs are a family of molecules that help cells to control the type and quantity of proteins they produce. According to Stoffel, the proteins in a cell control exactly how a specific cell functions. If this gene regulation gets out of hand, it can lead to serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes or autoimmunity.

SDA