The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has today decided
that
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011
shall be divided, with one half jointly to
Bruce A. Beutler and Jules A. Hoffmann
for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity
and the other half to
Ralph M. Steinman
for his discovery of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive immunity
Summary
This year's Nobel Laureates have revolutionized our understanding of
the immune system by discovering key principles for its activation.
Scientists have long been searching for the gatekeepers of the immune
response by which man and other animals defend themselves against
attack by bacteria and other microorganisms. Bruce Beutler and Jules
Hoffmann discovered receptor proteins that can recognize such
microorganisms and activate innate immunity, the first step in the
body's immune response. Ralph Steinman discovered the dendritic cells of
the immune system and their unique capacity to activate and regulate
adaptive immunity, the later stage of the immune response during which
microorganisms are cleared from the body.
The discoveries of the three Nobel Laureates have revealed how the
innate and adaptive phases of the immune response are activated and
thereby provided novel insights into disease mechanisms. Their work has
opened up new avenues for the development of prevention and therapy
against infections, cancer, and inflammatory diseases.
