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Scientists' work relates to 'how we keep immune system under control'Work spurred development of treatments in areas such as cancer, autoimmune diseaseMore than 200 trials on humans involving regulatory T cells under wayFirst award in 2025 Nobel Prizes, Physics next on TuesdayAmerican scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi from Japan won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for work shedding light on how the immune system spares healthy cells, creating openings for possible new autoimmune disease and cancer treatments.Their discoveries relate to peripheral immune tolerance, or "how we keep our immune system under control so we can fight all imaginable microbes and still avoid autoimmune disease", said Marie Wahren-Herlenius, a rheumatology professor at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, the awarding body.The institute said all three laureates brought to the fore so-called regulatory T cells, a class of white blood cells that act as the immune system's security guards that keep immune cells from attacking our own body.Brunkow, who found out she had won after being woken by her dog barking at a news photographer on the front porch of her Seattle home, said she, Ramsdell and their colleagues had isolated a gene called FOXP3 that could be used as a marker for the cells."They're rare, but powerful, and they're critical for sort of dampening an immune response," she said in an interview, describing the cells as a braking system that prevents the body's immune system from tipping over into attacking itself.Sakaguchi expressed surprise at a press conference in Osaka, western Japan, because he felt any major recognition would have depended on more development advances."I used to think that some sort of reward may be forthcoming if what we have been doing will advance a little further and it will become more beneficial to people in clinical settings," he said in a calm voice, cracking a smile now and then.The press conference was interrupted for Sakaguchi to take a congratulatory phone call from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who asked him how effective immunotherapy could be for cancer treatment in the future."I believe the time will come when cancer is no longer a scary disease, but a curable one," said Sakaguchi.The winners of the award are selected by the Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institute, a leading medical university, and receive a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million), as well as a gold medal presented by Sweden's king.Brunkow is senior programme manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, while Ramsdell is scientific adviser at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco. Sakaguchi is a professor at Osaka University.Jeffrey Bluestone, a decades-long friend of Ramsdell and a co-founder with him of Sonoma Biotherapeutics, told Reuters that his associate's extraordinary contribution was finding the FOXP3 gene, initially in mice, that controlled the development of regulatory T cells. They described their findings in a paper in 2001."Those cells were the master regulators of the tolerance of the immune system," said Bluestone.Ramsdell could not be reached by Reuters - nor by Brunkow or Bluestone, with Bluestone saying he may be on a hiking trip in an area without cell phone reception.After announcing the winners, the Karolinska Institute's Thomas Perlmann said specific therapies had yet to win market clearance but more than 200 trials on humans involving regulatory T cells were ongoing.Among companies in the early race, Ramsdell's Sonoma Biotherapeutics is partly funded and supported by US drugmaker Regeneron to work on therapies against diseases including inflammatory bowel disease.Also targeting that condition, Quell Therapeutics has partnered with AstraZeneca. Other biotech firms exploring the approach include Bayer's BlueRock.The Nobel Prizes were established through the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and a wealthy businessman.They have been awarded since 1901 for outstanding contributions in science, literature, and peace. The economics prize was added later and is funded by Sweden's central bank.Winners are selected by expert committees from various institutions. All prizes are awarded in Stockholm, except for the Peace Prize, which is presented in Oslo.Past recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine include renowned scientists such as Alexander Fleming, who shared the 1945 award for discovering penicillin. In recent years, the prize has recognized major breakthroughs, including those that enabled the development of COVID-19 vaccines.Last year's medicine prize was awarded to US scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA and its key role in how multicellular organisms grow and live.Medicine in accordance with tradition kicks off the annual Nobels. The physics award is next, on Tuesday.The awards culminate in ceremonies attended by the royal families of Sweden and Norway, followed by lavish banquets held on December 10 - the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the Primary Health Care Corp (PHCC) has launched the Family Medicine Certificate Programme, which aims to prepare a new generation of general practitioners specialising in family medicine, qualified to provide comprehensive community healthcare in any public or private healthcare facility in Qatar.The programme launched on September 1, welcoming its first cohort of 15 medical school graduates, children of residents. It will continue for one full-time year.The programme focuses on building a solid scientific and practical foundation through intensive clinical training, evidence-based practice, and multidisciplinary collaboration across health centers.Executive Director of the Clinical Affairs Directorate at PHCC Dr. Hanan al-Mujalli said the new programme reflects Qatar's strategic direction toward strengthening primary care, a long-term investment in community health.She pointed out that graduates of this programme will contribute to early diagnosis and prevention of diseases, thus promoting health in the community.

As part of the efforts made by the Qatar government and humanitarian organisations to support the resilience of the people, institutions, and vital sectors of Syria, a high-level delegation from Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) arrived at Damascus International Airport Sunday. The delegation was headed by QRCS president Yousef bin Ali al-Khater, secretary-general Faisal Mohamed al-Emadi, assistant secretary-general for Relief and International Development Mohamed Bader al-Sada, and assistant secretary-general for Communication and Resource Development Mohamed Ahmed al-Beshri. They were received by Syria's Minister of Health Dr Musaab Nazzal al-Ali, Qatar embassy in Syria charge d'affaires Khalifa Abdullah al-Mahmoud, Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society (SARCS) president Dr Mohamed Hazem Bakleh, Damascus Health Directorate director Dr Wael Dagmash, representative of Syria’s ministry of foreign affairs and staff of the QRCS’s representation office in Türkiye. The purpose of the humanitarian visit was to deliver a new batch of aid from Qatar under the “Take Heart Syria” initiative, containing medical equipment and supplies donated by Sidra Medicine, Al-Tafa’ol Trading Company, United International Trading Company, and Doha Health Care Group, in co-ordination with the QRCS, SARCS, and Syria’s ministry of health. The delegation from Qatar arrived at Damascus International Airport aboard a Qatar Amiri Air Force aircraft, carrying 12 tonnes of critical and sophisticated medical equipment to help Syrian hospitals continue providing quality healthcare services for patients. This airlift was preceded by three land aid convoys. On August 28, a total of 22 aid trucks started to depart from the warehouses of Sidra Medicine and the QRCS in Doha in three batches. The convoys travelled through Saudi Arabia and Jordan, ending in Syria, with 78 tonnes of aid. Thus, the total volume of aid delivered under the initiative totaled 90 tonnes of medical equipment and supplies, at a value of over QR45mn. In his keynote speech during the event, al-Khater, said: "These combined efforts were meant to send a message of solidarity to Syria, helping revitalise the Syrian healthcare sector and strengthening the capacity of its medical institutions to meet the needs of millions of Syrians.” “Over the past years, the QRCS implemented large-scale projects and programmes covering various sectors, including health, shelter, emergency relief, food security, water and sanitation, and livelihoods, with a total value of $160mn,” he added. “More than 13mn people across the country benefited from these interventions”. The QRCS president promised to keep working hard to ensure the delivery of more aid from Qatar to the people of Syria, as well as to intensify support to provide the Syrian health sector with the vital supplies needed for medical facilities. “In the name of the Syrian government and people, I would like to welcome this medical shipment from the State of Qatar, through the QRCS,” said Syrian Health Minister Dr al-Ali. “This humanitarian initiative is not merely equipment and supplies, but rather a message of genuine solidarity, a new lease on life for our patients, and a renewed hope for our medical professionals, who continue to do their job despite the difficulties and challenges.” Al-Mahmoud described the aid as a practical demonstration of Qatar’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Syrian people. The SARCS’s Dr Bakleh said that the generous initiative represents the deep fraternal ties between the peoples of Syria and Qatar and best embodies the spirit of humanitarian solidarity. Al-Emadi revealed that the aid shipment from Qatar contained X-ray, anaesthesia, and dialysis equipment; advanced laboratory testing equipment; vital signs monitoring machines; ventilators; incubators; radiography and laser imaging systems; plasma and biological storage freezers; cardiac and neurological monitoring devices; clinical decision support systems; stretchers; disinfection and protection tools; medical consumables; first-aid kits; and other equipment that covers a wide range of healthcare services, as an essential boost to rehabilitate medical infrastructure in Syria and enable hospitals to resume some of their suspended or limited services.

The new intake of medical students at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) have marked the beginning of their training by donning the white coat of the physician for the first time at a special ceremony.Each of the new medical students received their white coat and their first stethoscope at the Opening Exercises ceremony, a symbolic event that marks the point when students begin the four-year medical curriculum that will eventually lead to them graduating as doctors. This year there are 57 students enrolled on the first year of the medical curriculum.Of the 57 first-year students, 26 are men and 31 are women. Nineteen of the cohort are Qatari nationals. If successful in their studies, each student will be awarded the Cornell University MD degree.Dean of WCM-Q Dr. Javaid Sheikh said: "Pulling on the white coat of the physician for the first time is an important milestone in the career of any doctor, marking the point at which they take their first steps into a profession that demands technical excellence, compassion, and dedication. All of us at WCM-Q have great confidence the members of this cohort will excel and go on to become the next generation of leaders in medical science and innovation, driving our profession forwards into a bright future of enhanced patient care."The keynote address at the event was given by WCM-Q alumna Dr. Noor Al Khori, now senior attending physician at Sidra Medicine. Dr. Al Khori said: "As you feel the fabric slip onto your shoulders today, feel its magic. Feel the weight of the trust that is placed in you. Feel the weight of history. But also, feel the excitement of the adventures to come. Your white coat is a flag - a flag of humanity, of compassion, and of unwavering principle. It is a banner you raise for every patient, in every circumstance, declaring that here, in your care, dignity and kindness will prevail."

Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with QIIB to explore collaborative pathways that will broaden access to services and create business development opportunities.The MoU was signed between Dr Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, Chief Executive Officer of Sidra Medicine and Dr Abdulbasit Ahmad al-Shaibei, Chief Executive Officer of QIIB. Tinubu-Karch said: “The MoU with QIIB is a testament to Sidra Medicine’s commitment to improving our service delivery model and securing new and innovative ways of providing access to care as well as expanding our brand presence in Qatar.This also highlights our mutual goal to establish partnerships that extends the reach of the banking sector to patient communities.” QIIB is a privately owned Islamic bank in Qatar that offers personal and corporate Islamic banking solutions.The MoU with Sidra Medicine will also seek to establish new access points for patients including healthcare financing options. Dr al-Shaibei stated: “We are pleased at QIIB to sign this memorandum of understanding with Sidra Medicine, which we consider an important milestone in strengthening co-operation with a leading medical institution of distinguished reputation. “We hope that this partnership will contribute to providing innovative solutions that offer patients broader options and support the sustainability of medical services.This collaboration also reflects our commitment to our social role and our drive to build strategic partnerships that align with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and promote comprehensive development.” He added: “At QIIB, we place our commitment to society at the core of our strategy, ensuring that our initiatives are aligned with the Third Financial Sector Strategic Plan launched by the Qatar Central Bank, which places strong emphasis on sustainability and financial inclusion. Through such partnerships, we reaffirm our role in supporting the national economy and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals, with positive impact on both individuals and the wider community.”

Four students from Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar (WCM-Q) are named as joint first co-authors on a perspective paper proposing microbiome-based solutions to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).They were guided by their supervisor, Dr Ghizlane Bendriss, assistant professor of biology at WCM-Q, who is the lead author of the paper. The paper has been published in Frontiers in Microbiomes, a leading scientific journal.Students Ali al-Kuwari, Hamad al-Karbi, Abdulla al-Khuzaei and Dounia Baroudi conducted the study in response to an announcement at the 7th edition of the World Innovation Summit for Health, held in November 2024, which emphasised that tackling AMR was a national priority.The perspective paper discusses several strategies to address the loss of diversity caused by antibiotics, including diet, probiotics, fecal transplants (FMT), and the fermentation of animal and plant products.Preliminary findings from an experiment with camel milk fermentation suggest that fermentation increases microbial diversity, enhances microbiome resilience, and potentially reduces resistance to common antibiotics like tetracycline, streptomycin, penicillin, and chloramphenicol.The increase of diversity allows the microbiome to naturally resist pathogens without additional antibiotic use.Dr Bendriss said: “Over the past four decades, antibiotic innovation and approvals have sharply declined, with annual FDA approvals dropping from about three in the 1980s to barely one today, the share of new antibiotics falling from 20% to 6% of drug approvals, and almost no truly new classes emerging since the mid-20th century.To effectively address AMR, we really need to completely shift our strategy. Microbes already possess a natural ability to fight one another by competing for nutrients and by producing antimicrobial metabolites.Therefore, I believe that microbiome-based solutions such as probiotics or FMT can offer the most sustainable alternative to traditional pharmaceutical interventions.”Additionally, the paper discusses a mechanistic model to underscore the importance of maintaining microbial balance as an effective strategy for mitigating AMR and promoting long-term health.Further research is, however, still needed to better understand the mechanisms behind these changes and their implications for public health.Student al-Kuwari said: “This project deepened my understanding of the microbial world and introduced me to the boundless potential of microbiome-based approaches in tackling real-world health challenges.With antimicrobial resistance becoming an increasingly urgent global concern, contributing to research that explores innovative, targeted solutions has been both timely and meaningful.”Fellow student Baroudi said: “Through this research, I realised that fighting harmful bacteria isn’t just about using more antibiotics; sometimes, it’s about finding better ways to restore and encourage a healthy balance of microbes.This research focuses on identifying sustainable approaches, like fermentation and restoring microbial balance, as innovative ways to nurture microbial ecosystems and offer new hope against the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.”