Reacción a "Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for understanding how the immune system is kept under control without attacking organs"

The discoveries of Shimon Sakaguchi, Mary E. Brunkow, and Fred Ramsdell revolutionised our understanding of immune tolerance. Their work demonstrated that a specific subtype of lymphocytes, regulatory T cells (Tregs), acts as a brake system to prevent the immune system from attacking the body's own tissues. The identification of the FOXP3 gene, which is essential for the development and function of these cells, explained why certain mutations cause serious autoimmune diseases in humans. This finding not only represented a paradigm shift in basic immunology, but also paved the way for new therapeutic strategies in autoimmunity, transplants, cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases.

I think the recognition is very appropriate: it rewards research that connects fundamental science with clinical applications of enormous relevance, and which has shaped the way we understand and treat the regulation of the immune response today.