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This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been granted for revolutionary discoveries that clarify how the immune system targets harmful pathogens while sparing the body's own cells.

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

The research uncovered unique "sentinels" within the immune system that remove malfunctioning immune cells capable of harming the organism.

These discoveries are now enabling new treatments for immune disorders and malignancies.

These winners will divide a monetary award valued at 11m Swedish kronor.

Crucial Discoveries

"The work has been decisive for comprehending how the body's defenses functions and why we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases," stated the chair of the Nobel Committee.

The trio's research address a fundamental question: In what way does the defense system defend us from countless invaders while leaving our healthy cells unharmed?

Our immune system employs white blood cells that scan for indicators of disease, even viruses and bacteria it has not met before.

Such defenders employ detectors—known as receptors—that are produced by chance in countless variations.

That provides the defense network the capacity to fight a wide array of threats, but the randomness of the process inevitably produces immune cells that may attack the body.

Security Guards of the Immune System

Scientists previously knew that a portion of these harmful defense cells were eliminated in the thymus—the site where white blood cells mature.

The latest Nobel Prize recognizes the identification of regulatory T-cells—known as the body's "peacekeepers"—which patrol the body to disarm any immune cells that attack the healthy cells.

It is known that this mechanism fails in self-attack conditions such as juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and RA.

A Nobel panel added, "These findings have laid the foundation for a new field of research and spurred the creation of new treatments, for instance for cancer and autoimmune diseases."

In malignancies, regulatory T-cells prevent the body from attacking the growth, so research are focused on lowering their numbers.

In autoimmune diseases, experiments are exploring boosting regulatory T-cells so the organism is not under attack. A comparable approach could also be effective in reducing the chances of transplanted organ rejection.

Pioneering Studies

Prof Shimon Sakaguchi, of a Japanese institution, conducted experiments on mice that had their thymus removed, causing autoimmune disease.

The researcher showed that introducing defense cells from other animals could stop the illness—suggesting there was a system for preventing immune cells from attacking the host.

Mary Brunkow, affiliated with the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco, were investigating an inherited immune disorder in rodents and people that led to the identification of a genetic factor critical for the way regulatory T-cells function.

"Their groundbreaking research has uncovered how the immune system is kept in check by regulatory T cells, preventing it from accidentally targeting the healthy cells," commented a prominent biological science expert.

"The research is a striking example of how basic biological study can have broad implications for public health."