The past decade has been rich in biological and biomedical advances. The decade opened with the reports of the large number of new genes within the human genome that encode small non-coding RNAs, or microRNAs. We have learned that these RNAs a) control at least half of all genes, b) are dysfunctional in many cancers and c) are critical for many normal processes. In a recent study, microRNAs were used to control Hepatitis C Virus infection. In fact, the development of small RNA therapy based on RNA interference has advanced over the decade with clinical trials in many diseases.
However, the most important discovery of the past decade is that of “induced pluripotent stem cells” or “iPS cells,” which are adult cells that have been coaxed back into a embryonic-stem-cell-like state. The discovery of how to do that coaxing, made by Kyoto University’s Shinya Yamanaka in 2006, opened new avenues to consider for future treatment of diseases such as Parkinson Disease and type 1 diabetes—and has also radically changed our understanding of the plasticity of mature cell traits. For example, if any cell in the body can convert into any other cell type, i.e. from a neuronal cell to an immune cell, then classifications and treatment of cancers by cell type may be misleading. We are entering a new frontier in determining the nature of systems of genes and their proteins that control cell state and cell growth properties.
[Editor’s Note: As the decade comes to an end, we’ve asked Xconomists around the country to weigh in with the top innovations they’ve seen in their respective fields the past 10 years, or the top disruptive technologies that will impact the next decade.]
Author: Phillip Sharp
Dr. Phillip A. Sharp, currently Institute Professor, joined the Center for Cancer Research at MIT in 1974 and served as its Director for six years, from 1985 to 1991, before taking over as Head of the Department of Biology, a position he held for the next eight years. More recently, he was Founding Director of the McGovern Institute, a position he held from 2000 to 2004. Dr. Sharp's research interests have centered on the molecular biology of gene expression relevant to cancer and the mechanisms of RNA splicing. His landmark work (1977) provided one of the first indications of the startling phenomenon of "discontinuous genes" in mammalian cells. This discovery, which fundamentally changed scientists' understanding of the structure of genes, earned Dr. Sharp the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His lab has now turned its attention to understanding how RNA molecules act as switches to turn genes on and off (RNA interference). These newly discovered processes have revolutionized cell biology and could potentially generate a new class of therapeutics. Dr. Sharp has authored over 350 scientific papers. His work has earned him numerous cancer research awards and presidential and national scientific board appointments. He is elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also the recipient of the National Medal of Science and the Inaugural Double Helix Medal for Scientific Research from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Dr. Sharp earned a B.A. degree from Union College, KY, and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Illinois. In 1978 he co-founded Biogen (now Biogen Idec), in 2002, he co-founded Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, an early-stage therapeutics company, and in 2006, he co-founded Magen Biosciences Inc., a biotechnology company developing agents to promote the health of human skin. He serves on the boards of all three companies.
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