The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for their pioneering research on peripheral immune tolerance, a vital mechanism that prevents the immune system from attacking the body’s own cells.
Announced by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on Monday, the trio’s work has transformed scientific understanding of autoimmune regulation and led to major breakthroughs in treatments for autoimmune diseases, organ transplantation, and cancer immunotherapy.
Peripheral immune tolerance plays a central role in maintaining immune balance and protecting the body from self-destructive immune responses. The Nobel committee praised the laureates for identifying key regulatory cells and pathways that safeguard this delicate equilibrium.
This year marks the 115th Nobel Prize in Medicine, awarded to 229 laureates since 1901. Each recipient will receive approximately $1.2 million and be honored at the December 10 ceremony, commemorating Alfred Nobel’s death anniversary.
The Nobel Prize announcements continue this week with physics on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday, and literature on Thursday, followed by the Peace Prize on Friday and the Economics Prize on October 13.
