Washington, DC [US], October 6 (ANI): Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries in peripheral immune tolerance — or, in lay terms, for uncovering how the immune system is kept in check. The announcement was made on Monday by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.
The trio — two based in the United States and one in Japan — was recognized for their “groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance” that prevents the immune system from harming the body. This critical biological process enables the immune system to distinguish between harmful invaders and the body’s own tissues, preventing autoimmune diseases. Their research has paved the way for advances in treating conditions such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and other immune-related disorders.
Mary E. Brunkow, born in 1961, holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University in the U.S. and is a senior program manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. Fred Ramsdell, born in 1960, earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a scientific advisor at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco. Shimon Sakaguchi, born in 1951, holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from Kyoto University in Japan and is a distinguished professor at the Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University.
The prize amount of 11 million Swedish kronor will be shared equally among the laureates, the Nobel Committee announced.
Officially known as the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the honor has been awarded 115 times to 229 laureates between 1901 and 2024. Last year’s prize went to American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, tiny genetic materials that act as switches inside cells to control their functions.
The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, followed by the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics next Monday. The award ceremony will be held on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish industrialist and inventor of dynamite who established the prizes. Nobel died in 1896. (ANI)
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