Shimon Sakaguchi Awarded Nobel Prize for Discovery of Immune Tolerance Mechanism

The Nobel Committee in Stockholm has awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Japanese immunologist *Shimon Sakaguchi* and his colleagues, *Mary Brankow* and Fred Ramsdell. The scientists received the award for a discovery that explains how the human body prevents the immune system from attacking its own tissues—specifically, for their research into peripheral immune tolerance.

Shimon Sakaguchi, a professor at Osaka University, was the first to identify the existence of *regulatory T cells (T-regs)*—a special type of cell that controls the excessive activity of the immune system. His discoveries have helped explain why some people develop autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The work of Sakaguchi and his co-authors also has practical implications for developing new cancer treatments, preventing transplant rejection, and regulating immune response in chronic inflammations. Research in this area has already formed the basis for clinical trials in several countries.

The Nobel Committee noted that the discovery of the peripheral tolerance mechanism was a key step toward creating therapies capable of “reprogramming” the human immune system.

“Their work has transformed our understanding of how the body maintains the balance between defense against infections and the prevention of self-destruction,” states the official press release from the Nobel Foundation.