The Physiological Society congratulates Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi on being awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
It was announced today (Monday 6 October) that Professors Brunkow, Ramsdell, and Sakaguchi have been jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.
Responding to the Nobel Prize announcement, President of The Physiological Society, Professor Annette Dolphin, said:
“On behalf of The Physiological Society, I am delighted to congratulate Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for being jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Their pioneering work has revealed how the immune system is kept in check by regulatory T cells, preventing it from mistakenly attacking the body’s own tissues. These discoveries have been decisive for understanding why most of us do not develop serious autoimmune diseases.
“Physiology helps us understand how the body functions in health and what goes wrong in disease. By uncovering the mechanisms of peripheral immune tolerance, this research provides vital insights into the regulation of the immune system and opens up new possibilities for treating autoimmune diseases, improving transplant outcomes, and developing future cancer therapies. This work is a striking example of how fundamental physiological research can have far-reaching implications for human health.”
More information – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/press-release/