Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine.
They discovered how the immune system avoids attacking the body — a process called peripheral immune tolerance.
Sakaguchi identified regulatory T-cells, the “brakes” of immunity. Brunkow and Ramsdell linked the FoxP3 gene to their development.
Mutations in FoxP3 cause rare autoimmune diseases like Ipex syndrome. Their work explained how self-tolerance is maintained.
“These discoveries reshaped immunology,” said Prof Adrian Liston. “They turned understanding into treatments.”
Trials now test boosting T-cells for autoimmune therapy and blocking them in cancer treatment.
Prof Adrian Hayday said, “This prize was long expected — and well deserved.”
