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The Nobel Prize in medical science has been awarded for revolutionary discoveries that clarify how the immune system targets harmful pathogens while sparing the healthy tissues.

A trio of esteemed researchers—from Japan Shimon Sakaguchi and US scientists Dr. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—received this accolade.

Their work identified specialized "security guards" within the immune system that eliminate rogue defense cells capable of harming the body.

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

The winners will share a monetary award worth 11 million Swedish kronor.

Crucial Findings

"Their research has been decisive for comprehending how the immune system operates and the reason we do not all suffer from serious self-attack conditions," stated the chair of the Nobel Committee.

This team's research explain a fundamental mystery: How does the defense system protect us from numerous invaders while keeping our healthy cells intact?

Our body's protection system employs white blood cells that scan for signs of disease, even pathogens and bacteria it has not met before.

Such defenders employ detectors—known as recognition units—that are generated by chance in countless variations.

This gives the immune system the ability to combat a broad range of invaders, but the randomness of the mechanism inevitably produces immune cells that may attack 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 mature.

The latest award recognizes the identification of T-reg cells—described as the immune system's "peacekeepers"—which patrol the system to disarm any defenders that attack the healthy cells.

We know that this process malfunctions in self-attack conditions such as juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and RA.

A prize committee stated, "These findings have established a new field of research and accelerated the development of innovative treatments, for instance for tumors and autoimmune diseases."

In cancer, regulatory T-cells prevent the system from fighting the tumor, so research are focused on reducing their numbers.

In self-attack disorders, experiments are exploring boosting regulatory T-cells so the organism is no longer under attack. A similar method could also be effective in minimizing the risks of organ transplant failure.

Pioneering Studies

Prof Shimon Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, performed experiments on mice that had their immune gland extracted, leading to self-attack conditions.

The researcher demonstrated that introducing immune cells from other animals could stop the disease—implying there was a mechanism for preventing defenders from harming the host.

Dr. Brunkow, from the a research center in a US city, and Fred Ramsdell, now at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco, were studying an inherited immune disorder in rodents and people that resulted in the identification of a genetic factor critical for how regulatory T-cells operate.

"The pioneering research has revealed how the immune system is kept in check by regulatory T cells, preventing it from mistakenly targeting the healthy cells," said a leading biological science specialist.

"The research is a remarkable example of how basic biological study can have broad consequences for human health."