KEY POINTS
- 2025 Nobel in Medicine awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi
- Scientists discovered how the body prevents its immune system from turning against itself
- Key gene FOXP3 and “regulatory T cells” found to act as natural brakes on immunity
- Breakthrough promises new treatments for autoimmune disorders and cancer
ISLAMABAD: The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for revealing one of the immune system’s greatest mysteries — how it avoids attacking the body’s own healthy cells.
The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden made the announcement Monday. According to Reuters, the scientists’ work explained how the immune system stays in balance by identifying a small group of white blood cells known as regulatory T cells — or T-regs — which act as the body’s internal “peacekeepers.”
They also discovered the FOXP3 gene, a master control switch that tells these cells when to restrain the immune response. Together, these findings showed how the body’s defences are kept from going into overdrive and causing self-inflicted damage.
Sakaguchi, a Japanese immunologist, first pinpointed these regulatory cells in the 1990s, describing them as the immune system’s “brake pedal.” Brunkow and Ramsdell, both American researchers, later connected the genetic errors in FOXP3 to severe childhood diseases, according to the AP News.
American scientists have discovered that the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues — a condition known as autoimmunity. Their research proved that without this control mechanism, life itself can become unsustainable.
Breakthrough in immune balance
The Nobel Committee praised the laureates’ discoveries as “decisive for understanding how the immune system functions and why we do not all develop autoimmune diseases.”
The Guardian noted that their research opened the door to treating illnesses such as type 1 diabetes, lupus, and multiple sclerosis — all of them caused by the immune system turning against the body.
Their findings have also included improvements in the science behind cancer immunotherapy, which seeks to reactivate immune cells to target tumours more effectively.
Foundation for future therapies
Experts told Reuters the trio’s work transformed modern immunology, shifting the focus from simply fighting infections to maintaining equilibrium inside the immune system.
This deeper understanding now guides scientists designing drugs that can either boost immune power — as in cancer treatment — or calm immune attacks, as needed for autoimmune disorders.
The three laureates will share a prize of 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1 million) at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
