10/20/2025
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to scientists Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for their groundbreaking discovery of how the immune system maintains balance and prevents it from attacking the body’s own tissues. The researchers focused on the role of regulatory T cells, or T-regs, which function as the immune system’s peacekeepers. These specialized cells act to calm the immune system, ensuring that it defends against pathogens but refrains from attacking healthy organs. Their work revealed the crucial function of the FOXP3 gene, which controls the activity of these T-regs. When this gene malfunctions, the immune system becomes dysregulated and begins to target the body's own tissues, leading to autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 1 diabetes.
This discovery opens new doors for treating autoimmune diseases. By understanding how the immune system regulates itself, scientists now have the potential to develop therapies that could teach the immune system to calm its aggressive response. This could lead to treatments that not only address the root causes of autoimmune conditions but also prevent their progression. The Nobel Prize highlights the extraordinary potential of understanding the body's internal processes and how these can be harnessed for therapeutic purposes, offering hope for millions living with autoimmune disorders.
Source: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus... How Does Your Immune System Stay Balanced? A Nobel Prize-Winning Answer... explains the role of the FOXP3 gene in controlling immune cells and its link to diseases like lupus and Type 1 diabetes.
