Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discoveries on immune tolerance.
Their research revealed how the body prevents T-cells from attacking healthy tissue, avoiding autoimmune diseases.
Sakaguchi identified regulatory T-cells — “the brakes of the immune system,” said Prof Adrian Liston.
Brunkow and Ramsdell discovered the FoxP3 gene, essential for developing these T-cells. Mutations cause severe autoimmune disorders.
Their work has inspired treatments to boost immune control in autoimmune disease and weaken it in cancer therapy.
“This prize was long overdue,” said Prof Adrian Hayday.
