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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for transformative discoveries that illuminate how the immune system attacks dangerous infections while sparing the body's own cells.

A trio of esteemed scientists—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and US experts Mary Brunkow and Dr. Ramsdell—share this accolade.

The research uncovered unique "security guards" within the immune system that remove rogue defense cells capable of harming the organism.

The findings are now paving the way for innovative therapies for autoimmune diseases and malignancies.

These laureates will share a monetary award valued at 11 million Swedish kronor.

Crucial Discoveries

"The research has been decisive for comprehending how the body's defenses operates and the reason we do not all suffer from serious autoimmune diseases," commented the chair of the award panel.

This trio's research explain a fundamental mystery: How does the immune system defend us from countless infections while leaving our healthy cells unharmed?

Our immune system uses immune cells that search for indicators of infection, even pathogens and bacteria it has not met before.

Such defenders employ detectors—called receptors—that are generated randomly in countless variations.

This provides the immune system the capacity to fight a wide array of threats, but the randomness of the mechanism inevitably creates immune cells that can target the host.

Security Guards of the Immune System

Scientists earlier knew that a portion of these harmful defense cells were eliminated in the thymus—where immune cells develop.

This year's Nobel Prize honors the identification of regulatory T-cells—described as the body's "peacekeepers"—which patrol the system to neutralize any defenders that attack the healthy cells.

We know that this process fails in self-attack conditions such as juvenile diabetes, MS, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The Nobel panel added, "The findings have established a new field of investigation and spurred the development of new therapies, for example for tumors and immune disorders."

In cancer, regulatory T-cells block the system from fighting the tumor, so studies are aimed at lowering their numbers.

In autoimmune diseases, trials are testing increasing T-reg cells so the organism is no longer being harmed. A similar method could also be useful in minimizing the risks of organ transplant failure.

Innovative Experiments

Professor Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, conducted experiments on rodents that had their immune gland removed, causing self-attack conditions.

The researcher demonstrated that introducing defense cells from other animals could prevent the disease—suggesting there was a mechanism for preventing defenders from harming the host.

Dr. Brunkow, from the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco, were studying an inherited immune disorder in mice and humans that led to the identification of a genetic factor vital for the way T-regs operate.

"The pioneering research has revealed how the immune system is controlled by regulatory T cells, stopping it from accidentally attacking the healthy cells," commented a prominent biological science specialist.

"This research is a striking example of how basic physiological study can have broad implications for public health."