We, my wife and I, are very happy to hear this message and look forward to visiting Stockholm in December, says Shimon Sakaguchi to Sveriges Radio's Vetenskapsradion.
Brunkow and Ramsdell have not yet found out that they have received the prize, says Academy member Thomas Perlmann at the presentation.
They probably have their mobile phones on silent mode. If they hear this, call me, he says.
The Body's Order Guards
Immune tolerance is about the body's immune system - white blood cells, and that they do not attack our own body. The prize winners are rewarded for identifying the immune system's order guards, so-called regulatory T cells, which prevent immune cells from attacking us ourselves.
On the surface of these T cells, there are receptors, like antennae, that recognize different things. And if they recognize things in our own body, it's called self-reactivity. Examples of this are type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and most rheumatic diseases, says Marie Wahren-Herlenius, professor of experimental rheumatology at the Karolinska Institute, to TT.
The three prize winners have provided a fundamental understanding of how the body handles this, and it is hoped that it can be utilized in the future. Hundreds of clinical trials are already underway, says Wahren-Herlenius.
One is trying to either increase or decrease these cells that contribute to keeping the immune system in check. So for autoimmune diseases, one wants to have more and more effective ones, while for cancer diseases, the cancer can use these cells to protect itself, so then one wants to have fewer such cells.
Key Discovery 30 Years Ago
Fred Ramsdell is a 64-year-old American and is active at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco, Shimon Sakaguchi comes from Japan and is 71 years old and is active at the University of Osaka. Mary Brunkow is also from the USA. She was born in 1961 and works for the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle.
Sakaguchi made the first key discovery in 1995, when he discovered a previously unknown class of immune cells. In 2001, Brunkow and Ramsdell followed up when they found the explanation for why a certain mouse strain is affected by autoimmune diseases.
They showed that the mice had a mutation in a gene that they named Foxp3. At the same time, they found that mutations in the human counterpart to Foxp3 cause the serious autoimmune disease IPEX.
Physics: Tuesday, October 7, at the earliest 11:45 am
Chemistry: Wednesday, October 8, at the earliest 11:45 am
Literature: Thursday, October 9, at the earliest 1:00 pm
Peace Prize: Friday, October 10, 11:00 am
The Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel: Monday, October 13, at the earliest 11:45 am
Source: nobelprize.org
The Nobel Prize winners in physics and chemistry, as well as the recipients of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, are appointed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The Nobel Prize winners in medicine are appointed by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute and the Swedish Academy decides who will receive the literature prize.
In all these institutions, there are special Nobel committees, which every year conduct extensive investigations into a selection of nominated candidates. The name proposals come in through nominations, which can only be made by certain specially appointed persons. This includes, for example, researchers, former prize winners, and academy members. The committees put forward a proposal that is presented to the respective prize-awarding institution, which then votes for the year's prize winners.
Regarding the Peace Prize, the Storting in Norway appoints the members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which is responsible for both the investigative work and the prize decision.
Source: Nobel Foundation
Alfred Nobel (born 1833 in Stockholm, died 1896 in San Remo, Italy) is Sweden's most famous inventor and industrial leader. His most important invention was dynamite, which he was granted a patent for in 1867.
Alfred Nobel left behind a large fortune and in his will, it was stated that the main part of the fortune should form a fund, where the return should go to prizes for those "who during the past year have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind".
Nobel wanted prizes to be awarded in five categories: in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and for peace.
The first prize award took place in 1901.
Much later, the economics prize was established, or "the prize in economic sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel". The prize was established by the Sveriges Riksbank and was awarded for the first time in 1969.
At most, three people can share each prize.
The prize ceremony takes place on Alfred Nobel's death day, December 10. The Nobel Prize is awarded in Stockholm and Oslo (the Peace Prize).
Sources: NE and nobelprize.org
