The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 has been awarded jointly to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for their ground breaking discoveries on peripheral immune tolerance.
This year's prize "relates to how we keep our immune system under control so we can fight all imaginable microbes and still avoid autoimmune disease," said Marie Wahren-Herlenius, a rheumatology professor at the Karolinska Institute.
The winners for medicine are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute medical university and receive a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million), as well as a gold medal presented by Sweden's king.
Brunkow and Ramsdell are based in the United States, and Sakaguchi in Japan.
"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," the prize-awarding body said in a statement.
The Nobel Prizes were established through the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and a wealthy businessman. They have been awarded since 1901 for outstanding contributions in science, literature, and peace, with interruptions mainly during the World Wars. The economics prize was added later and is funded by Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank.
Winners are selected by expert committees from various institutions. All prizes are awarded in Stockholm, except for the Peace Prize, which is presented in Oslo — a possible legacy of the political union between Sweden and Norway during Nobel’s lifetime.
Past recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine include renowned scientists such as Alexander Fleming, who shared the 1945 award for discovering penicillin. In recent years, the prize has recognized major breakthroughs, including those that enabled the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Last year's medicine prize was awarded to U.S. scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA and its key role in how multicellular organisms grow and live, helping explain how cells specialise into different types.
Medicine in accordance with tradition kicks off the annual Nobels, arguably the most prestigious prizes in science, literature, peace and economics, with the remainder set to be announced over the coming days.
More than a century after their inception, the Nobel Prizes remain steeped in tradition. The awards culminate in ceremonies attended by the royal families of Sweden and Norway, followed by lavish banquets held on 10 December — the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.
Unusually heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail during Uzbekistan's hottest season have sparked widespread debate over the causes. While some blame clima...
A Russian drone strike has damaged a SOCAR fuel station in southern Ukraine, as both Russia and Ukraine reported new attacks on energy infrastructure ...
Pakistan is seeking fresh Turkish investment after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed to deepen economic coopera...
A Russian drone strike has damaged a SOCAR fuel station in southern Ukraine, as both Russia and Ukraine reported new attacks on energy infrastructure and other targets.
England will face Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals after Erling Haaland scored twice late on to stun five-time champions Brazil 2-1 and send Norway into the last eight for the first time in their history.
Heavy monsoon rains triggered deadly landslides at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, killing at least eight people, including children, and forcing authorities to evacuate residents from high-risk areas early on Monday.
Christian Dior has secured one of fashion's most coveted celebrity endorsements after both Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wore custom haute couture designs by creative director Jonathan Anderson for their wedding in New York.
The death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes has risen to 3,342, according to the country's information ministry, as rescue teams continue searching affected areas and survivors face an uncertain recovery.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
Governments are tightening restrictions on teenagers’ use of social media amid growing concerns over mental health, online safety and platform design, but questions remain over enforcement and whether bans can meaningfully change behaviour.
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Mexico's national football team has returned luxury Rolex watches gifted by American content creator Stevewilldoit after concerns that they could conflict with FIFA's ethics rules.
Humanoid robots stumbled, collided and recovered as they battled for the RoboCup 2026 football title on Sunday (5 July), showcasing the latest advances in robotics and artificial intelligence at the world's largest competition of its kind.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Humanity’s return to the Moon is about far more than planting flags and collecting samples. Under NASA’s Artemis programme, the goal is to establish a lasting human presence, with lunar rovers set to play a vital role in making that vision possible.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
The Canadian government has introduced a digital safety bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, unless platforms meet specific safety standards.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment