Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Is Awarded for Work on Immune Systems

Health|Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Is Awarded for Work on Immune Systems

Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for their discoveries around peripheral immune tolerance.

Why did they receive the prize?

The Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine said that the three scientists received the award for their work researching the human immune system. Their research showed how the body regulates its immune responses, and how immune cells are prevented from attacking their own body.

The group’s work has contributed to medical research in cancer and autoimmune treatments, and may help with organ transplants. The committee called their work “fundamental” to understanding how the body’s immune system works.

Who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2024?

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were recognized for the discovery of microRNA, a tiny class of RNA molecules that play a crucial role in determining how organisms mature and function — and how they sometimes malfunction.

When will the other Nobel Prizes be announced?

The prize for physiology or medicine is the first of six Nobel Prizes that will be awarded this year. Each award recognizes groundbreaking contributions by an individual or organization in a specific field.

• The Nobel Prize in Physics will be awarded on Tuesday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. Last year, John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton shared the prize for work on discoveries that helped computers learn more in the way the human brain does, providing the building blocks for developments in artificial intelligence.

• The Nobel Prize in Chemistry will be awarded on Wednesday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. Last year, the prize went to Demis Hassabis, John Jumper and David Baker for work that showed the potential of artificial intelligence and other technology to predict the shape of proteins and to invent new ones.

• The Nobel Prize in Literature will be awarded on Thursday by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm. Last year, Han Kang, known best for her novel “The Vegetarian,” became the first writer from South Korea to receive the award.

• The Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded on Friday by the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo. Last year, the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, a grass-roots movement of atomic bomb survivors, received the award “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.”

• Next week, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences will be awarded on Monday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. Last year, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson were honored for research into how institutions shape which countries become wealthy and prosperous — and how those structures came to exist in the first place.

All of the prize announcements are streamed live by the Nobel Prize organization.