Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize for uncovering how the immune system avoids attacking itself.
Their work revealed regulatory T-cells, or T-regs — the “brakes” of the immune system.
Sakaguchi identified these cells, while Brunkow and Ramsdell linked the FoxP3 gene to their development.
Mutations in FoxP3 cause severe autoimmune diseases like Ipex syndrome.
The discovery opened paths to new treatments. Boosting T-regs can ease autoimmune disorders; reducing them may help fight cancer.
“This prize was long expected,” said Prof Adrian Hayday. “Their work transformed immunology.”