Scientists win 2025 Nobel Prize in medicine for discoveries on immune tolerance

Scientists Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking “discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.”

The Nobel Committee said the trio’s work “laid the foundation for a new field of research and spurred the development of new treatments, for example for cancer and autoimmune diseases.” Each laureate will receive a share of 11 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1.2 million) and a gold medal to be presented by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf.

The Nobel Prizes, created under the will of Alfred Nobel—the Swedish inventor of dynamite—have been awarded since 1901 to honor outstanding contributions in science, literature, and peace, with brief interruptions during the World Wars. The economics prize, introduced later, is funded by Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank.

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All Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, except for the Peace Prize, which is presented in Oslo, reflecting the historical union between Sweden and Norway during Nobel’s lifetime.

Previous laureates in medicine include Alexander Fleming, who shared the 1945 prize for discovering penicillin. More recently, the Nobel has recognized advances such as the discoveries that led to the creation of COVID-19 vaccines. Last year’s award went to American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for identifying microRNA and explaining how it governs cell development and specialization.

As is tradition, the medicine award marks the beginning of the Nobel season — one of the most anticipated events in global science and culture. The prizes will culminate in December with grand ceremonies attended by members of the Swedish and Norwegian royal families, followed by celebratory banquets on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.