{"id":56252,"date":"2025-10-07T21:07:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T15:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=56252"},"modified":"2025-10-08T12:24:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T06:54:50","slug":"nobel-prize-in-physiology-or-medicine-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/07-10-2025\/nobel-prize-in-physiology-or-medicine-2025","title":{"rendered":"Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology<\/strong> was announced <strong>for three scientists,<\/strong> for their discoveries on <strong>peripheral immune tolerance.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The three scientists Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi <strong>shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Human Immune System<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The immune system<\/strong> protects the body from pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It consists of organs, cells, and molecules that work together to recognize and eliminate harmful substances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Major Components of the Immune System:&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Organs: <\/strong>Bone marrow, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cells: <\/strong>White blood cells (leukocytes) \u2014 lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Molecules:<\/strong> Antibodies, cytokines, complement proteins.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These have a role in <strong>identifying and eliminating foreign bodies<\/strong> that may bring with it disease.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However the immune system also identifies cells that have gone rogue \u2013 such as in cancerous tumours \u2013 or that have mutated in a way that they harm the bodies they constitute.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Telling apart benign cells from harmful invaders is the key challenge the immune system must negotiate.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are B and T-Cells?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>B-cells and T-cells<\/strong> are a specific type of white blood cell called <strong>lymphocytes.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They <strong>help the immune system <\/strong>to fight germs and protect from disease.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Types of T cells:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cytotoxic T-cells:<\/strong> They kill cells infected with viruses and bacteria, and they also destroy tumor cells.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Helper T-cells: <\/strong>They send signals that direct other immune cells to fight infection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulatory T-cells (Tregs):<\/strong> These cells suppress excessive immune responses to prevent autoimmune reactions and maintain immune tolerance.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They play a crucial role in preventing the immune system from attacking the body&#8217;s own cells and tissues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>T-cells start in <strong>bone marrow, mature in thymus and eventually relocate to lymph tissue or bloodstream.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>B-cells<\/strong> make antibodies in response to antigens (antibody generators).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>There are two main types of B-cells:<\/strong> plasma cells and memory cells. Both types help to protect from infection and disease.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Discovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The laureates identified the <strong>immune system\u2019s security guards, regulatory T cells<\/strong>, which prevent immune cells from attacking our own body.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f3efef\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"494\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-20-1024x494.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-56253\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f3efef; width:464px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-20-1024x494.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-20-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-20-768x371.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-20.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Their discoveries have been decisive for our understanding of <strong>how the immune system functions and why we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The laureates\u2019 discoveries launched the <strong>field of peripheral tolerance,<\/strong> spurring the development of medical treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once the function of these new T-cells were known, researchers realised that <strong>some tumours can attract a large number of these regulatory T cells<\/strong>, thereby protecting it from the other<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-03-2022\/t-cell\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-03-2022\/t-cell\"> T cells<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The discovery of Regulatory T-cells <strong>revolutionized immunology<\/strong> by revealing that the immune system is not only attack-oriented but<strong> also self-regulating.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has major implications fo<strong>r treating autoimmunity, cancer, transplantation, and chronic inflammation.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>About Nobel Prize<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Since 1901,<\/strong> the Nobel Prize has been awarded in the fields of <strong>physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace,<\/strong> while a memorial prize in economic sciences was added in<strong> 1968.<\/strong><br>1. In 1895 <strong>Alfred Nobel<\/strong> gave the largest share of his fortune to a series of the Nobel Prizes.<br>&#8211; From Stockholm, the <strong>Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences<\/strong> confers the prizes <strong>for physics, chemistry, and economics,<\/strong> the<strong> Karolinska Institute confers the prize for physiology or medicine,<\/strong> and the <strong>Swedish Academy confers the prize for literature.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>The Norwegian Nobel Committee<\/strong> based in Oslo confers the <strong>prize for peace.<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>&#8211; The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo (Norway), while all<strong> other prizes are awarded in Stockholm (Sweden).<\/strong><br>&#8211; The <strong>Nobel Foundation<\/strong> is the<strong> legal owner and functional administrator<\/strong> of the funds and serves as the joint administrative body of the prize-awarding institutions.<br>1. It is <strong>not concerned with the prize deliberations or decisions<\/strong>, which rest exclusively with the four institutions.<br>&#8211; <strong>Process of Selection:<\/strong><br>1. Nominations are invited from qualified individuals (scientists, professors, former laureates, etc.).<br>2. Selection Committees review and recommend the winners.<br>3. The final decision is made by the respective Nobel institutions.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/medicine-nobel-2025-awarded-to-trio-for-t-cells-discovery\/article70130490.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology was announced for three scientists, for their discoveries on peripheral immune tolerance.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Human Immune System<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The immune system protects the body from pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">It consists of organs, cells, and molecules that work together to recognize and eliminate harmful substances.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/07-10-2025\/nobel-prize-in-physiology-or-medicine-2025\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56252"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56303,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56252\/revisions\/56303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}