Overview

• Karolinska Institutet honored the trio for discoveries explaining peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the body from attacking its own tissues.
• The research identified regulatory T cells and linked their development to the gene Foxp3, revealing a key safeguard against autoimmunity.
• Several treatments derived from these findings are in clinical testing for cancer, autoimmune disorders and complications after transplants.
• The prize is worth 11 million Swedish kronor to be shared, with formal awards scheduled for 10 December in Stockholm and Oslo.
• At the announcement, officials reached only Japan-based Shimon Sakaguchi by phone, while the two US laureates were initially unavailable due to the early hour.