CNRS researcher wins 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for immunology work

The 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Jules Hoffmann, a French citizen native of Luxembourg, CNRS senior researcher emeritus and professor at the university of Strasbourg, jointly with Bruce A. Beutler for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity. They share the prestigious award with Ralph M. Steinman for his works on dendritic cells and their role in adaptive immunity. Jules Hoffmann, whose findings have revolutionized current understanding of the immune system by disclosing the main keys to its activation, is also laureate of the CNRS 2011 Gold Medal.

A French citizen native of Luxembourg, Jules Hoffmann has dedicated his works to the study of genetic and molecular mechanisms responsible for innate immunity in insects. His numerous findings have provided new insights into the defense mechanisms that organisms, from the most primitive up to humans, use against infectious agents.

Source: CNRS