Overview

• The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honored Sakaguchi alongside two U.S. scientists for uncovering regulatory T cells that suppress immune responses.
• At a joint news conference, Sakaguchi appeared with his wife and collaborator Noriko, whose name is on the pivotal 1995 paper that underpins the award.
• Osaka University celebrated that he is its first Nobel laureate while on staff, with the president publicly praising the achievement.
• Clinical translation is progressing through a venture founded in 2016 by the team to advance cell therapies targeting conditions such as type 1 diabetes and cancer.
• Editorials and colleagues noted the work faced years of skepticism and funding hurdles and urged stronger, sustained support for basic research in Japan.