Last updated: December 2nd, 2025
SAKAGUCHI Shimon, Distinguished Honorary Professor of the University of Osaka, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, as announced by the Nobel Foundation on Monday, October 6. In commemorating the award, we provide information on his research articles and other related information.
*Professor SAKAGUCHI was awarded the title of Distinguished Honorary Professor of the University of Osaka on October 22, 2025. (for the details)
*This page is edited in collaboration with the Kyoto University Library Network（The Kyoto University Library Network website）。
The research for which the Prize was awarded
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 was awarded jointly to Mary E. Brunkow, Frederick J. Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi "for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance"
Source
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2025. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/summary/ （as of October 16, 2025）
News and other information websites
The Nobel Foundation
- https://www.nobelprize.org/
- Press release https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/press-release/
- Interview article: First Reactions, Telephone interview (with Simon Sakaguchi) https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/sakaguchi/interview/
- Scientific background to the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025: Immune tolerance. The identification of regulatory T cells and FOXP3 [PDF] https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2025/10/advanced-medicineprize2025.pdf
The University of Osaka
- [Breaking news] Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon receives 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine!（October 6, 2025） https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/news/topics/2025/10/06001-2
- Related post on X https://x.com/UOsaka_ja/status/1975132960816013485 (in Japanese only)
- Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon, Distinguished Honorary Professor of the University of Osaka, spoke at a joint press conference (October 6, 2025) https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/news/topics/2025/10/nobel_press_conference
- Brief history of Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon, his research and achievements [PDF] https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja/news/topics/2025/10/files/sakaguchi/@@download/file (in Japanese only)
- ResOU 究みのStoryZ 「制御性Ｔ細胞は 何をつたえているのか」
[ResOU StoryZ of Research “What do regulatory T cells tell us?” (tentative translation of the Japanese title, no English version provided on the site)]
https://resou.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja/story/2013-1/201312_01 - ResOU 究みのStoryZ 「免疫をコントロールし、1型糖尿病やがんを治療」
[ResOU StoryZ of Research “Control immunity to cure type 1 diabetes and cancer” (tentative translation of the Japanese title, no English version provided on the site)]
https://resou.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja/story/2020/ob3vni
The Immunology Frontier Research Center
- https://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/
- Experimental Immunology https://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/laboratory/shimon_sakaguchi/index.htm
（The principle investigator is Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon.） - 坂口志文先生 ノーベル生理学・医学賞受賞 特設ページ
[Special page for Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (tentative translation of the Japanese title, no English version provided on the site)]
https://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/lp/nobel_prize/ *added on December 2nd
The University of Osaka Libraries
- 【展示】祝ノーベル賞：坂口志文先生と免疫学（2025年10月7日）
[【Exhibition】Commemorating the awarding of Nobel Prize: Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon and Immunology (October 7, 2025)] (in Japanese only)
https://www.library.osaka-u.ac.jp/news/20251007_seimei/- List of books on display
- Related post on X https://x.com/UOsakaLib/status/1975383744908558593 (in Japanese only)
Articles related to the research which led to the awarding of the Nobel Prize
The following articles are authored by Professor Sakaguchi.
Key publications
- Sakaguchi S, Sakaguchi N, Asano M, Itoh M, Toda M. 1995. 'Immunologic self-tolerance maintained by activated T cells expressing IL-2 receptor a-chains (CD25). Breakdown of a single mechanism of self-tolerance causes various autoimmune diseases.', J Immunol., 155:1151-1164.
https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.155.3.1151 - Hori S, Nomura T, Sakaguchi S. 2003. 'Control of regulatory T cell development by the
transcription factor Foxp3', Science, 299:1057-1061.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1079490
Source
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2025. Popular science background: They understood how the immune system is kept in check. https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2025/10/popular-medicineprize2025-2.pdf (as of October 16, 2025)
Other related articles
- Sakaguchi, S., T. Takahashi, and Y. Nishizuka. 1982. 'Study on cellular events in postthymectomy autoimmune oophoritis in mice. I. Requirement of Lyt-1 effector cells for oocytes damage after adoptive transfer', J Exp Med, 156: 1565-76.
https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.156.6.1565 - Itoh, M., T. Takahashi, N. Sakaguchi, Y. Kuniyasu, J. Shimizu, F. Otsuka, and S. Sakaguchi. 1999. 'Thymus and autoimmunity: production of CD25+CD4+ naturally anergic and suppressive T cells as a key function of the thymus in maintaining immunologic self-tolerance', J Immunol, 162: 5317-26.
https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.162.9.5317
https://academic.oup.com/jimmunol/article/162/9/5317/8062976 - Sakaguchi, S. 2000. 'Regulatory T cells: key controllers of immunologic self-tolerance', Cell, 101: 455-8.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80856-9 - Takahashi, T., T. Tagami, S. Yamazaki, T. Uede, J. Shimizu, N. Sakaguchi, T. W. Mak, and S. Sakaguchi. 2000. 'Immunologic self-tolerance maintained by CD25(+)CD4(+) regulatory T cells constitutively expressing cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4', J Exp Med, 192: 303-10.
https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.192.2.303 - Kawakami, R., Y. Kitagawa, K. Y. Chen, M. Arai, D. Ohara, Y. Nakamura, K. Yasuda, M. Osaki, N. Mikami, C. A. Lareau, H. Watanabe, G. Kondoh, K. Hirota, N. Ohkura, and S. Sakaguchi. 2021. 'Distinct Foxp3 enhancer elements coordinate development, maintenance, and function of regulatory T cells', Immunity, 54: 947-61 e8.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2021.04.005 - Kidani, Y., W. Nogami, Y. Yasumizu, A. Kawashima, A. Tanaka, Y. Sonoda, Y. Tona, K. Nashiki, R. Matsumoto, M. Hagiwara, M. Osaki, K. Dohi, T. Kanazawa, A. Ueyama, M. Yoshikawa, T. Yoshida, M. Matsumoto, K. Hojo, S. Shinonome, H. Yoshida, M. Hirata, M. Haruna, Y. Nakamura, D. Motooka, D. Okuzaki, Y. Sugiyama, M. Kinoshita, T. Okuno, T. Kato, K. Hatano, M. Uemura, R. Imamura, K. Yokoi, A. Tanemura, Y. Shintani, T. Kimura, N. Nonomura, H. Wada, M. Mori, Y. Doki, N. Ohkura, and S. Sakaguchi. 2022. 'CCR8-targeted specific depletion of clonally expanded Treg cells in tumor tissues evokes potent tumor immunity with long-lasting memory', Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2114282119
- Chen, K. Y., T. Kibayashi, A. Giguelay, M. Hata, S. Nakajima, N. Mikami, Y. Takeshima, K. Ichiyama, R. Omiya, L. S. Ludwig, K. Hattori, and S. Sakaguchi. 2025. 'Genome-wide CRISPR screen in human T cells reveals regulators of FOXP3', Nature, 642: 191-200.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08795-5
Source
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2025. Scientific background to the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025: Immune tolerance. The identification of regulatory T cells and FOXP3 [PDF] https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2025/10/advanced-medicineprize2025.pdf (as of October 16, 2025)
List of other research articles by Professor Sakaguchi
- On Researchmap https://researchmap.jp/read0192931?lang=en
- • On Google Scholar: List of Professor Sakaguchi’s articles (in order of the number of citations) https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DnbGVYQAAAAJ&hl=en
- “Lists of the articles by the Nobel Prize winner, Shimon Sakaguchi, Professor Emeritus, are open (on 2025-10-17)” on the Kyoto University Library Network website https://www.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/bulletin/1405604?lang=en