Three esteemed scientists, namely Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi, have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking research on peripheral immune tolerance, as announced by the awarding body on Monday. The focus of this year’s prize is on the regulation of the immune system to combat various pathogens while preventing autoimmune diseases, according to Marie Wahren-Herlenius, a rheumatology professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Mary Brunkow serves as a senior program manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, Fred Ramsdell is a scientific adviser at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco, and Shimon Sakaguchi holds the position of distinguished professor at the Immunology Frontier Research Center at Osaka University in Japan. The Nobel committee highlighted that the discoveries made by the laureates have paved the way for a new area of study and have contributed to the development of innovative treatments for conditions like cancer and autoimmune disorders.
These researchers identified regulatory T cells, described as the immune system’s guardians that prevent immune cells from attacking the body. Mary Brunkow, upon learning of her win, mentioned the discovery of a gene called FOXP3, which serves as a marker for these cells, emphasizing their importance in regulating immune responses and preventing self-attack.
During a media conference in Osaka, Japan, Shimon Sakaguchi expressed surprise at the recognition, indicating that he had expected further advancements before receiving such a prestigious accolade. The Nobel laureates’ work has led to ongoing human trials involving regulatory T cells, although specific therapies are still awaiting market approval.
Apart from the laureates’ achievements, companies like Sonoma Biotherapeutics, Quell Therapeutics, and BlueRock, among others, are actively involved in developing therapies based on regulatory T cells for various diseases. The Nobel Prize, established by Alfred Nobel, honors individuals who have made significant contributions for the betterment of humanity, with the awards ceremony scheduled for December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s passing.
The Nobel awards cover various categories, including physics, chemistry, literature, and peace, each accompanied by a prize of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.6 million Cdn). The upcoming Nobel prizes in chemistry, physics, literature, and peace are set to be awarded over the next few days, with the economics prize announcement scheduled for October 13. Many renowned figures, such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Ernest Hemingway, and Nelson Mandela, have been recipients of the prestigious Nobel Prize over the years.