Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi Gets Nobel Prize For Medicine For Discoveries Concerning Peripheral Immune Tolerance

The Nobel Prize 2025 in physiology or medicine was announced on Monday, October 6. Three researchers - Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi - have been awarded the prize for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.

In their research, Brunkow, Ramsdell and Sakaguchi explained about the body's immune system can be kept under control to avoid it from attacking its own organs.

“Their discoveries have been decisive for our understanding of how the immune system functions and why we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases,” says Olle Kämpe, chair of the Nobel Committee.

About Their Research:

The researchers identified the immune system’s security guards, regulatory T cells, thus laying the foundation for a new field of research. As per the Nobel Academy, the discoveries have also led to the development of potential medical treatments that are now being evaluated in clinical trials.

The research aims to treat or cure autoimmune diseases, provide more effective cancer treatments and prevent serious complications after stem cell transplants.

About The Researchers:

Mary E. Brunkow: She was born in 1961. Brunkow pursued her Ph.D from Princeton University in the US. She is working as Program Manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle.

Fred Ramsdell: Born in 1960, Ramshell pursued his Ph.D from the University of California, He is currently a Scientific Advisor at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco.

Shimon Sakaguchi: He was born in 1951. Sakaguchi pursued his M.D in 1976 and Ph.D in 1983 from Kyoto University, Japan. He is a distinguished Professor at the Immunology Frontier Research Center in Japan's Osaka University.

Published on: Monday, October 06, 2025, 03:37 PM IST