Three scientists won Nobel prize for immune system discoveries

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011 was divided, 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".

The Nobel committee at Stockholm Karolinska Institute said, American Bruce Beutler and French scientist Jules Hoffmann shared the 10 million-kronor ($1.5 million) award with Canadian-born Ralph Steinman.

"Their work has opened up new avenues for the development of prevention and therapy against infections, cancer and inflammatory disease,” the citation said.

The trio’s discoveries have laid path to the development of new methods for treating and preventing diseases, including improved vaccines and in attempts to help the immune system to attack tumors, the Nobel committee said. 

The medicine award kicked off a week of Nobel Prize announcements, and will be followed by the Physics prize on Tuesday, Chemistry on Wednesday, Literature on Thursday and the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The winners of the Economics award will be announced on October 10. 

Every year the prizes are handed out on December 10, on the death anniversary of Nobel in 1896.