Biography:Shimon Sakaguchi

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Shimon Sakaguchi
坂口 志文
Born (1951-01-19) 19 January 1951 (age 75)
Nagahama, Shiga, Japan
EducationKyoto University (MD, PhD)
Known forRegulatory T cells
AwardsWilliam B. Coley Award (2004)
Canada Gairdner International Award (2015)
Crafoord Prize (2017)
Robert Koch Prize (2020)
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2025)
Scientific career
FieldsPathology
Immunology
InstitutionsOsaka University

Shimon Sakaguchi (坂口 志文, Sakaguchi Shimon; born 19 January 1951) is a Japanese immunologist, a Distinguished Professor of Osaka University, and a Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University.[1]

His work includes the discovery of regulatory T cells and describing their role in the immune system. In 2025, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Mary E. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell.[2]

Early life and education

Shimon Sakaguchi was born on 19 January 1951 in Nagahama, Shiga.[3] He received a medical degree in 1976 from the Faculty of Medicine at Kyoto University. In 1982, he also received a PhD degree from Kyoto University.[4]

Career

Sakaguchi undertook postdoctoral research in the United States at Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University from 1983 to 1987 as a Lucille P. Markey Scholar.[5] Later, he worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at the Scripps Research Institute.[5]

After returning to Japan in 1991,[5] he worked at Riken as an investigator of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.[6] Later, he became the head of the Department of Immunopathology at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology.[7] Between 1998 and 2011, he worked as a professor and chairman of the Department of Experimental Pathology at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences of Kyoto University. From 2007 to 2011, he also served as the institute's director.[8] His lab was moved to Osaka University in 2011.[7]

Research

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025: Pivotal role of FoxP3+ Treg cells in peripheral immune tolerance

In a 1995 study, Sakaguchi and his colleagues showed the existence of regulatory T cells, a previously unknown subset of T cells expressing CD4 and CD25 that modulate the immune system and help maintain immune tolerance.[9] They injected BALB/c athymic mice with a suspension of CD4+ cells previously depleted of CD25+ cells and found that the mice subsequently developed autoimmune diseases (e.g. thyroiditis and gastritis). However, reconstitution of CD4+CD25+ cells shortly after the initial injection of CD4+CD25− cells prevented the development of autoimmunity.[10] In 2003, Sakaguchi's group demonstrated the importance of FOXP3 in the development and function of regulatory T cells.[9][10]

Honours and awards

Sakaguchi attended a press conference at the University of Osaka after the Nobel Prize laureates were announced on October 2, 2025
Sakaguchi addressed at Canada Gairdner International Award Ceremony at the Royal Ontario Museum on 29 October 2015

On 6 October 2025, Sakaguchi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Mary E. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell "for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance."[2]

  • 2004: William B. Coley Award (with Ethan M. Shevach)[11]
  • 2008: Keio Medical Science Prize (with Fred Gage)[12]
  • 2009: Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon (Japan)[13]
  • 2011: Asahi Prize[14]
  • 2012: Foreign associate of the National Academy of Sciences[15]
  • 2015: Chunichi Culture Award[16]
  • 2015: Canada Gairdner International Award[6]
  • 2016, 2018, 2021: Asian Scientist 100, Asian Scientist[17]
  • 2015: Clarivate Citation laureates in Physiology or Medicine (with Shevach and Alexander Rudensky)[18] * 2017: Crafoord Prize (with Ramsdell and Rudensky)[19]
  • 2017: Person of Cultural Merit (Japan)[20][21]
  • 2017: Momofuku Ando Prize (ja)[22]
  • 2019: Order of Culture (Japan)[23]
  • 2020: Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize[24]
  • 2020: Robert Koch Prize[25]
  • 2023: Debrecen Award for Molecular Medicine[26]
  • 2025: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (with Brunkow and Ramsdell)[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Experimental Immunology – Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center". http://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/laboratory/shimon_sakaguchi/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025". https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/summary/. 
  3. ↑ Shimon Sakaguchi facts nobelprize.org
  4. ↑ Template:Cite EBO
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Nobel laureate Shimon Sakaguchi conducted postdoctoral studies at Johns Hopkins in 1980s". The Hub. Johns Hopkins University. 6 October 2025. https://hub.jhu.edu/2025/10/06/nobel-prize-shimon-sakaguchi-johns-hopkins-postdoctoral-studies/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Shimon Sakaguchi". Canada Gairdner International Award (Gairdner Foundation). https://www.gairdner.org/winner/shimon-sakaguchi. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Shimon Sakaguchi – ISNI Congress" (in en-US). https://www.isniweb.org/congress/profile/shimon-sakaguchi/. 
  8. ↑ "SAKAGUCHI Shimon Nobel Prize Laureate (Physiology or Medicine)". Osaka University. https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/research/nobelprize/sakaguchi/top. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Naddaf, Miryam; Gibney, Elizabeth (6 October 2025). "Medicine Nobel goes to scientists who revealed secrets of immune system 'regulation'". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03193-3. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03193-3. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Karlsson Hedestam, Gunilla; Kämpe, Olle (6 October 2025). "Scientific background 2025: Immune tolerance: The identification of regulatory T cells and FOXP3". Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute. https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2025/10/advanced-medicineprize2025.pdf. 
  11. ↑ William B. Coley Award-Award, Cancer Research Institute (cancerresearch.org)
  12. ↑ The 2008 Keio Medical Science Prize Awardees , Keiō University
  13. ↑ "Distinguished Professor Shimon SAKAGUCHI of IFReC awarded Canada Gairdner International Award". Osaka University. 26 March 2015. http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/news/topics/2015/03/20150326_01. 
  14. ↑ The Asahi Prize Asahi Shimbun
  15. ↑ Shimon Sakaguchi National Academy of Sciences
  16. ↑ "Shimon Sakaguchi awarded the Chunichi award | News & Topics | Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center". https://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/topics/20150525-0423.htm. 
  17. ↑ "The Asian Scientist 100". https://www.asianscientist.com/as100/. 
  18. ↑ Announcing the 2015 Citation Laureates by Thomson Reuters.
  19. ↑ "Shimon Sakaguchi -" (in en-GB). https://www.crafoordprize.se/prize-laureate/shimon-sakaguchi/. 
  20. ↑ "Shimon Sakaguchi was named a Person of Cultural Merit of Japan | News & Topics | Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center". https://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/topics/20171025-0919.htm. 
  21. ↑ "Cultural Merit awards conferred upon Shimon Sakaguchi, Shuh Narumiya, and Michio Muramatsu (24 October 2017)" (in en). 21 November 2017. https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/news/2017-11-21-2. 
  22. ↑ "News & Topics | Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center". http://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/topics/20180315-1056.htm. 
  23. ↑ "Prof. Shimon Sakaguchi Awarded the Order of Culture | News & Topics | Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center". https://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/topics/20191029-1200.htm. 
  24. ↑ "Goethe-Universität —". https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/84858372/ContentPage_84858372. 
  25. ↑ "Robert Koch Stiftung – Shimon Sakaguchi". https://www.robert-koch-stiftung.de/index.php?article_id=357&clang=0. 
  26. ↑ "Japanese scientist receives award for molecular medicine | University of Debrecen" (in en). 14 November 2023. https://hirek.unideb.hu/en/japanese-scientist-receives-award-molecular-medicine. 

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