Shimon Sakaguchi
Japanese immunologist (born 1951)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Canada Gairdner International Award (2015)
Crafoord Prize (2017)
Robert Koch Prize (2020)
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2025)
Shimon Sakaguchi | |
|---|---|
| 坂口 志文 | |
| |
| Born | 19 January 1951 Nagahama, Shiga, Japan |
| Education | Kyoto University (MD, PhD) |
| Known for | Regulatory T cells |
| Awards | William 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 | |
| Fields | Pathology Immunology |
| Institutions | Osaka University |
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
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
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[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]
