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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for transformative findings that clarify how the immune system targets harmful pathogens while protecting the body's own cells.

A trio of renowned researchers—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and US experts Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—share this accolade.

The work uncovered specialized "security guards" within the defense system that eliminate malfunctioning immune cells capable of attacking the body.

The discoveries are now enabling innovative therapies for autoimmune diseases and malignancies.

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

Decisive Findings

"Their work has been decisive for understanding how the immune system functions and why we do not all suffer from serious autoimmune diseases," commented the chair of the Nobel Committee.

This team's studies explain a core mystery: How does the immune system defend us from numerous invaders while keeping our healthy cells unharmed?

The body's protection system employs immune cells that scan for signs of disease, including viruses and bacteria it has never encountered.

Such cells employ detectors—called receptors—that are produced randomly in countless combinations.

That provides the immune system the ability to combat a wide array of threats, but the unpredictability of the mechanism inevitably produces white blood cells that may attack the body.

Security Guards of the Immune System

Scientists earlier knew that a portion of these problematic white blood cells were eliminated in the immune organ—where white blood cells mature.

The latest Nobel Prize honors the identification of T-reg cells—described as the body's "security guards"—which travel through the system to disarm other immune cells that assault the body's own tissues.

It is known that this process malfunctions in autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

A Nobel panel stated, "The discoveries have established a novel area of research and accelerated the creation of innovative therapies, for example for tumors and autoimmune diseases."

Regarding malignancies, T-regs block the system from attacking the tumor, so studies are aimed at reducing their quantity.

For autoimmune diseases, trials are testing boosting T-reg cells so the body is no longer being harmed. A comparable approach could also be effective in minimizing the chances of transplanted organ failure.

Innovative Studies

Professor Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, conducted experiments on mice that had their thymus extracted, leading to self-attack conditions.

He showed that introducing immune cells from other animals could prevent the illness—implying there was a system for blocking defenders from harming the host.

Dr. Brunkow, from the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at a biotech firm in San Francisco, were investigating an genetic autoimmune disease in mice and people that resulted in the identification of a gene vital for how regulatory T-cells operate.

"The pioneering research has revealed how the body's defenses is controlled by T-reg cells, preventing it from accidentally attacking the healthy cells," said a prominent biological science specialist.

"The work is a striking example of how basic physiological study can have broad implications for human health."