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This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been granted for revolutionary findings that illuminate how the immune system targets dangerous infections while protecting the body's own cells.

Three esteemed researchers—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and US experts Dr. Brunkow and Dr. Ramsdell—share this honor.

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

These findings are now enabling new treatments for autoimmune diseases and malignancies.

The winners will divide a monetary award worth 11m Swedish kronor.

Decisive Findings

"Their work has been essential for comprehending how the body's defenses operates and the reason we do not all develop severe self-attack conditions," commented the chair of the Nobel Committee.

This trio's studies address a core question: In what way does the immune system defend us from countless invaders while leaving our healthy cells unharmed?

Our immune system uses white blood cells that scan for signs of infection, including viruses and germs it has not met before.

Such cells utilize detectors—called recognition units—that are generated randomly in a vast number of variations.

This provides the immune system the capacity to fight a broad range of invaders, but the randomness of the process inevitably produces white blood cells that can attack the host.

Security Guards of the Immune System

Researchers previously knew that some of these harmful defense cells were destroyed in the immune organ—the site where white blood cells mature.

The latest Nobel Prize recognizes the discovery of T-reg cells—known as the body's "security guards"—which travel through the body to disarm other immune cells that assault the healthy cells.

It is known that this process malfunctions in self-attack conditions such as juvenile diabetes, MS, and RA.

The Nobel panel added, "The discoveries have established a new field of investigation and spurred the development of new therapies, for instance for tumors and autoimmune diseases."

In cancer, T-regs block the body from attacking the tumor, so studies are focused on lowering their numbers.

For self-attack disorders, trials are exploring increasing regulatory T-cells so the body is not under attack. A similar approach could also be useful in minimizing the chances of transplanted organ failure.

Pioneering Studies

Professor Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, performed tests on rodents that had their thymus extracted, causing autoimmune disease.

He demonstrated that introducing immune cells from healthy mice could stop the disease—suggesting there was a system for preventing immune cells from harming the body.

Mary Brunkow, from the Institute for Systems Biology in a US city, and Fred Ramsdell, currently at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in a California city, were studying an genetic immune disorder in rodents and humans that led to the discovery of a gene critical for the way T-regs operate.

"Their groundbreaking research has revealed how the body's defenses is controlled by T-reg cells, stopping it from accidentally targeting the healthy cells," commented a leading biological science specialist.

"This work is a remarkable example of how fundamental physiological research can have far-reaching implications for public health."