Japanese immunologist Shimon Sakaguchi, co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine, said on Monday he hopes the recognition will drive further advances in immunology and its clinical applications.
“I sincerely hope this award will help move the field forward—toward real-world use at the bedside,” the 74-year-old Osaka University professor said at a press conference.
Sakaguchi shares the Nobel with American scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell for groundbreaking research on the immune system’s regulatory mechanisms. The Nobel committee credited their discovery of the immune system’s “security guards” — regulatory T cells — as pivotal in understanding immune balance and preventing autoimmune diseases.
Their findings have opened new paths for treating autoimmune disorders, cancer, and organ transplant rejection.
Sakaguchi emphasized the potential of continued research into both boosting and suppressing immune function to unlock treatments for currently hard-to-treat diseases.
“I believe that for even the most difficult diseases, solutions and preventive treatments will eventually be found,” he said, adding that the award came as a pleasant surprise.
The trio will receive the Nobel diploma, gold medal, and a $1.2 million prize — to be shared equally — at the official ceremony in Stockholm on December 10.
AFP
