Scientists Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell & Shimon Sakaguchi honored for launching a new field with implications in cancer and autoimmune therapies
2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: The Winners
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to:
- Mary Brunkow
- Fred Ramsdell
- Shimon Sakaguchi
The trio was recognized “for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance”, a groundbreaking field that is reshaping the treatment landscape for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other immune-related disorders.
What Is Peripheral Immune Tolerance?
Peripheral immune tolerance refers to the body’s mechanism for preventing immune cells from attacking its own tissues after they’ve matured — a key factor in:
- Autoimmunity prevention
- Immune regulation therapies
- Cancer immunotherapy development
Their discoveries laid the foundation for this emerging discipline, and have already begun influencing new treatment approaches across clinical medicine.
Nobel Assembly’s Statement
“Their discoveries have laid the foundation for a new field of research and spurred the development of new treatments, for example for cancer and autoimmune diseases,”
said the Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, which selects the laureates.
Award Details
- Prize money: 11 million Swedish crowns (approx. $1.2 million)
- Awarded by: Sweden’s King in a formal ceremony
- Date of Ceremony: December 10, on Alfred Nobel’s death anniversary
Nobel Prize Background & Tradition
- Established by: The will of Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist and inventor of dynamite
- First awarded: 1901
- Awarded for: Outstanding contributions in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and later, economics
The Medicine Prize traditionally opens the Nobel season, with other category announcements following in the same week.
Note: The Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, Norway, while all others, including medicine, are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
Notable Past Winners of the Medicine Nobel
- 1945: Alexander Fleming, for the discovery of penicillin
- 2020: Emmanuelle Charpentier & Jennifer Doudna, for CRISPR gene-editing
- 2022: Svante Pääbo, for discoveries in ancient DNA
- 2024: Victor Ambros & Gary Ruvkun, for identifying the role of microRNA in development
What’s Next in the 2025 Nobel Announcements?
Following the Medicine Prize, upcoming awards include:
- October 7: Physics
- October 8: Chemistry
- October 9: Literature
- October 11: Peace Prize (in Oslo)
- October 14: Economic Sciences
All prizes culminate in banquets and royal ceremonies on December 10 in Stockholm and Oslo.
