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The prestigious award in medical science was awarded for revolutionary findings that illuminate how the immune system attacks dangerous pathogens while sparing the healthy tissues.

Three renowned researchers—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and US scientists Dr. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—received this accolade.

The research uncovered unique "security guards" within the immune system that eliminate malfunctioning defense cells that could harming the organism.

The findings are now enabling innovative therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer.

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

Crucial Discoveries

"Their research has been decisive for understanding how the body's defenses operates and why we don't all suffer from severe autoimmune diseases," stated the chair of the award panel.

This trio's studies address a fundamental question: How does the defense system protect us from countless invaders while leaving our healthy cells intact?

The immune system uses immune cells that search for indicators of disease, even viruses and bacteria it has not met before.

Such cells utilize sensors—called receptors—that are generated randomly in a vast number of combinations.

That gives the defense network the capacity to combat a wide array of threats, but the randomness of the process unavoidably produces white blood cells that can attack the body.

Protectors of the Body

Researchers earlier understood that a portion of these harmful defense cells were destroyed in the immune organ—the site where immune cells mature.

The latest award recognizes the discovery of T-reg cells—known as the body's "security guards"—which patrol the body to disarm any defenders that attack the healthy cells.

It is known that this mechanism malfunctions in self-attack conditions such as type-1 diabetes, MS, and RA.

The Nobel panel added, "These discoveries have established a new field of investigation and accelerated the creation of new therapies, for instance for cancer and immune disorders."

In malignancies, T-regs prevent the body from attacking the growth, so studies are aimed at reducing their numbers.

For self-attack disorders, experiments are testing boosting T-reg cells so the body is no longer being harmed. A comparable method could also be useful in minimizing the chances of transplanted organ rejection.

Pioneering Experiments

Professor Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, conducted experiments on rodents that had their thymus extracted, leading to autoimmune disease.

He showed that introducing immune cells from healthy mice could stop the illness—implying there was a mechanism for preventing defenders from attacking the body.

Mary Brunkow, affiliated with the Institute for Systems Biology in a US city, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at a biotech firm in a California city, were investigating an genetic autoimmune disease in mice and people that resulted in the discovery of a gene critical for how regulatory T-cells function.

"The groundbreaking research has uncovered how the immune system is kept in check by regulatory T cells, preventing it from accidentally attacking the body's own tissues," said a prominent physiology specialist.

"This research is a striking example of how basic physiological study can have far-reaching consequences for human health."