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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been granted for revolutionary discoveries that illuminate how the immune system attacks dangerous pathogens while protecting the body's own cells.

A trio of renowned researchers—Japan's Prof. Sakaguchi and US experts Dr. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—share this honor.

The work uncovered specialized "security guards" within the immune system that remove rogue defense cells that could attacking the body.

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

These laureates will share a prize fund worth 11m Swedish kronor.

Crucial Findings

"The research has been essential for understanding how the body's defenses operates and why we don't all suffer from severe autoimmune diseases," commented the head of the Nobel Committee.

The trio's research address a core mystery: In what way does the immune system protect us from numerous invaders while keeping our own tissues unharmed?

Our body's protection system uses white blood cells that search for signs of infection, including pathogens and germs it has not met before.

Such defenders utilize sensors—known as receptors—that are produced randomly in a vast number of variations.

This provides the immune system the ability to fight a broad range of invaders, but the unpredictability of the mechanism inevitably produces immune cells that may target the host.

Security Guards of the Immune System

Researchers earlier understood that some of these problematic white blood cells were eliminated in the immune organ—where immune cells develop.

This year's award recognizes the identification of T-reg cells—known as the immune system's "security guards"—which travel through the system to disarm any defenders that attack the healthy cells.

We know that this process fails 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 spurred the creation of new therapies, for instance for tumors and immune disorders."

Regarding cancer, regulatory T-cells prevent the system from fighting the tumor, so studies are aimed at reducing their quantity.

For self-attack disorders, experiments are exploring increasing T-reg cells so the organism is not being harmed. A similar method could also be useful in reducing the chances of organ transplant failure.

Pioneering Studies

Prof Shimon Sakaguchi, of a Japanese institution, performed experiments on rodents that had their immune gland removed, causing self-attack conditions.

The researcher showed that introducing defense cells from other animals could stop the disease—implying there was a mechanism for preventing immune cells from attacking the host.

Mary Brunkow, affiliated with the a research center in Seattle, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco, were investigating an inherited immune disorder in rodents and people that resulted in the identification of a genetic factor vital for how regulatory T-cells operate.

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

"The research is a remarkable example of how fundamental biological research can have far-reaching implications for public health."