The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet has announced the recipients of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This prestigious award has been granted to three scientists: Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi. They are recognized for their pivotal discoveries surrounding the concept of peripheral immune tolerance.
Nobel Prize 2025 in Physiology or Medicine
The laureates have significantly enhanced our understanding of how the immune system operates. Their work emphasizes the importance of regulating immune responses to prevent the body from attacking its own organs. By identifying regulatory T cells, which act as “security guards” for the immune system, they have shed light on the mechanisms that maintain this crucial balance.
Significant Discoveries
- Shimon Sakaguchi: In 1995, Sakaguchi made the groundbreaking discovery of a new class of immune cells while challenging prevailing theories on immune tolerance.
- Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell: In 2001, they identified a gene mutation, Foxp3, responsible for autoimmune vulnerabilities in a specific mouse strain. Their research indicated that mutations in the human version of this gene could lead to a severe autoimmune condition known as IPEX.
- By 2003, Sakaguchi confirmed that the Foxp3 gene governs the development of regulatory T cells.
The research of these three scientists has not only advanced academic understanding but has also sparked new avenues for medical treatment. Their discoveries are now influencing therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer, potentially improving outcomes in transplantation procedures.
Laureate Backgrounds
| Name | Born | Affiliation | Education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary E. Brunkow | 1961 | Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, USA | Ph.D. from Princeton University, USA |
| Fred Ramsdell | 1960 | Sonoma Biotherapeutics, San Francisco, USA | Ph.D. from UCLA, USA |
| Shimon Sakaguchi | 1951 | Osaka University, Japan | M.D. and Ph.D. from Kyoto University, Japan |
This year’s prize, totaling 11 million Swedish kronor, will be shared equally among the three laureates. Their research represents a crucial step in understanding immune regulation and holds promise for future treatments in various medical fields.
