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Nobel Prizes and Favorite Research Trends

If genomics and AI research are becoming favorite research themes in developed countries, will our scientists follow suit? In October, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2024 Nobel Prizes in the categories of Medicine-Physiology, Chemistry, Physics, Literature, and Peace. Looking at the Nobel Prize winners in Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry, it appears that there has been rapid progress in genomic research and artificial intelligence (AI) and this is driving technological progress in the medical and health fields. What can we learn from this Nobel laureate?   New breakthrough The Nobel Prize in Medicine-Physiology was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun from the United States (US). Both were considered to have contributed to their discovery that microRNA plays a role in regulating post-transcriptional gene activity. This discovery opens up opportunities to develop new ways to treat various diseases, including cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Penghargaan Nobel dan Tren Riset Favorit

Jika riset genomik dan AI menjadi tema riset favorit di negara maju, apakah ilmuwan kita juga mengikutinya? Pada Oktober lalu, Akademi Ilmu Pengetahuan Kerajaan Swedia memberikan Hadiah Nobel 2024 untuk kategori Kedokteran-Fisiologi, Kimia, Fisika, Sastra, dan Perdamaian. Melihat pemenang Nobel kategori Kedokteran, Fisika, dan Kimia, tampak ada kemajuan pesat pada riset genomik dan kecerdasan buatan (artificial intelligence/AI) dan ini menjadi pendorong kemajuan teknologi di bidang medis dan kesehatan. Apa yang bisa kita pelajari dari penerima Nobel ini?   Terobosan baru Nobel Kedokteran-Fisiologi diberikan kepada Victor Ambros dan Gary Ruvkun dari Amerika Serikat. Keduanya dinilai berjasa atas temuannya bahwa mikro-RNA berperan dalam mengatur aktivitas gen pascatranskripsi. Lewat temuan ini terbuka peluang pengembangan cara baru pengobatan berbagai penyakit, termasuk kanker dan autoimun.

Human Genome Editing Controversy

Advances in molecular biology have brought medical science to a quantum leap. The advancement of science and technology is like a double-edged sword. It can be a blessing for humanity, but it can also be a disaster. This is the story of a secret experiment in China that has shocked the medical community and led to the imprisonment of its researcher. In 2018, He Jiankui, an associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, conducted an experiment to edit the genes or DNA of an embryo carried by a woman whose husband had HIV. Using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) technology, He edited the gene encoding CCR5, which is a receptor or entry point for the HIV virus into human body cells.

Kontroversi Penyuntingan Genom pada Manusia

Kemajuan biologi molekuler membawa ilmu kedokteran menuju ke lompatan besar (”quantum leap”). Kemajuan ilmu dan teknologi bagaikan pedang bermata dua. Bisa jadi berkah bagi umat manusia, tetapi bisa juga menjadi malapetaka. Ini kisah tentang eksperimen rahasia di China yang sudah membuat geger kalangan medis dan berujung perisetnya dipenjara. Pada 2018, He Jiankui, associate professor di Southern University of Science and Technology di Shenzhen, melakukan percobaan menyunting gen atau DNA pada embrio yang dikandung seorang perempuan yang suaminya mengidap penyakit HIV. Dengan teknologi clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9), He menyunting gen pengode CCR5 yang merupakan reseptor atau jalan masuk virus HIV ke dalam sel tubuh manusia.

New Hope for Kidney Failure Patients

The success of the genetically engineered pig kidney transplant is a major breakthrough for the world of medicine and molecular biology. The world of medicine continues to develop, bringing new hope, including for patients with kidney failure. Not long ago, on March 16, 2024, a team of doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA, successfully performed a genetically engineered pig kidney transplant into the body of Richard Slayman, a 62-year-old male patient. At that time, Richard felt happy and enthusiastic because he regained a normally functioning kidney and no longer had to undergo routine dialysis that had burdened him for years. This is the first successful attempt, as previous pig-to-human kidney transplants have always failed. In 2018, Richard had actually undergone a human kidney transplant from a deceased donor.