Il premio Nobel per la medicina e la fisiologia è stato assegnato quest'anno a Bruce Beutler e Jules Hoffmann per le loro scoperte sull'attivazione dell'immunità innata, e a Ralph Steinman per la scoperta delle cellule dendritiche e il loro ruolo nell'immunità adattativa. Un premio quindi dedicato alle ricerche sul sistema immunitario.

Ecco cosa scrive nelle motivazioni la giuria del Nobel: "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".

L'importanza dei tre studiosi viene raccontata molto bene nel recente libro di Alberto Mantovani I guardiani della vita (Dalai, 2011).