The discovery has led to new treatments for autoimmune disorders, cancer and transplant recovery<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
TUESDAY, Oct. 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 Three immunologists have won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for uncovering how the immune system prevents itself from attacking the body.<\/p>\n
The discovery has opened new paths for treatment.<\/p>\n
Immunologists Mary Brunkow<\/a>, Fred Ramsdell<\/a> and Shimon Sakaguchi<\/a> discovered a special group of immune cells called regulatory T-cells.<\/p>\n These cells help keep the immune system balanced, stopping it from harming the body. Their research revealed a key part of how the immune system functions.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir discoveries have been decisive for our understanding of how the immune system functions and why we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases,\u201d Nobel Committee Chair Olle K\u00e4mpe<\/a> said.<\/p>\n The three scientists will share 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1.1 million). Brunkow is based at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle; Ramsdell at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco and Seattle; and Sakaguchi is a professor at Osaka University in Japan.<\/p>\n Sonoma Biotherapeutics CEO Jeff Bluestone<\/a> told The Wall Street Journal<\/em> that Ramsdell, who had been backpacking off the grid in Idaho, learned of his Nobel Prize on Monday evening after returning from his trip. Earlier in the day, colleagues had been unable to reach him, Bluestone said.<\/p>\n In the 1990s, Sakaguchi discovered that removing the thymus gland from newborn mice caused their immune systems to attack their own organs. He later found that a small group of cells, now known as regulatory T-cells, stopped the immune system from attacking.<\/p>\n In 2001, Brunkow and Ramsdell identified the Foxp3 gene, which helps these regulatory cells develop properly. When this gene is damaged, the immune system can start attacking the body\u2019s own tissues.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really a molecular slog, to get to that exact mutation,\u201d Brunkow explained. \u201cIt was just a very small genetic alteration that results in quite a profound change in the immune system.\u201d<\/p>\n The winners\u2019 work has led to new areas of research aimed at treating autoimmune diseases, cancer<\/a> and complications after organ transplants.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ability to manipulate these cells so that they can become powerful, specific therapeutics is really the promise of the field,\u201d Bluestone told The Wall Street Journal.<\/em><\/p>\n Sakaguchi, who called the award \u201ca happy surprise,\u201d said he plans to continue exploring how to fine-tune immune responses to help the body fight cancer.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n Johns Hopkins Medicine has more on the immune system<\/a>.<\/p>\n