Japanese immunologist Shimon Sakaguchi, who shares this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, said he plans to apply his discovery of regulatory T cells to develop effective cancer immunotherapies.
Sakaguchi, based at Osaka University in Suita, identified regulatory T cells as immune cells that control excessive reactions. He explained that adjusting their activity could enhance the body’s ability to attack tumors while minimizing autoimmune side effects.
He added that his team is conducting preclinical studies and collaborating with clinical researchers to explore therapies that modulate regulatory T cells in cancer patients. Sakaguchi emphasized that his work may also inform treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Sakaguchi will attend the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm on Wednesday before returning to Japan to continue laboratory and collaborative projects aimed at translating his discoveries into clinical applications.