Japanese immunologist and Osaka University professor, Shimon Sakaguchi, who was jointly awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine, has expressed hope that the recognition will accelerate research and improve patient care across the globe.
“I sincerely hope that this award will serve as an opportunity for this field to develop further — in a direction where it can be applied in actual bedside and clinical settings,” the 74-year-old researcher told journalists during a news conference in Osaka.
Sakaguchi shared the Nobel Prize with American scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell for their groundbreaking discoveries on how the immune system is regulated — specifically identifying the “security guards” that prevent it from attacking the body.
Their research has been pivotal in deepening global understanding of autoimmune diseases and has paved the way for new treatments in cancer therapy and organ transplant rejection.
Sakaguchi highlighted that continued exploration of immune system regulation could yield breakthroughs in both prevention and treatment of currently incurable diseases.
“I believe that even for diseases that are currently difficult to treat, solutions exist. Effective treatments will inevitably be found, and preventive measures will also be discovered,” he said.
The laureates will receive their awards — including diplomas, gold medals, and a $1.2 million prize to be shared among them — at the Nobel ceremony scheduled for December 10 in Stockholm.
