Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine.
They were recognized for uncovering how the immune system avoids attacking the body’s own cells.
Sakaguchi discovered regulatory T-cells — “the brakes of the immune system,” said Prof Adrian Liston.
Brunkow and Ramsdell identified the FoxP3 gene, vital for these cells’ development. Mutations cause severe autoimmune diseases.
Their work transformed understanding of immunity and opened paths to new treatments for autoimmunity, transplants, and cancer.
“This prize was long overdue,” said Prof Adrian Hayday.
