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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded for revolutionary discoveries that clarify how the immune system attacks harmful infections while sparing the body's own cells.

A trio of renowned scientists—from Japan Shimon Sakaguchi and US experts Mary Brunkow and Dr. Ramsdell—share this accolade.

Their research uncovered unique "sentinels" within the defense system that remove rogue defense cells that could harming the organism.

These discoveries are now paving the way for innovative therapies for immune disorders and malignancies.

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

Crucial Findings

"Their research has been decisive for comprehending how the body's defenses operates and why we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases," stated the head of the award panel.

The team's research explain a core question: In what way does the defense system defend us from countless infections while leaving our own tissues intact?

Our body's protection system employs immune cells that search for signs of infection, including pathogens and bacteria it has not met before.

These defenders employ sensors—called receptors—that are generated by chance in countless combinations.

This gives the defense network the ability to combat a broad range of threats, but the randomness of the mechanism unavoidably creates white blood cells that may attack the host.

Protectors of the Immune System

Scientists previously knew that a portion of these harmful white blood cells were destroyed in the immune organ—the site where immune cells develop.

The latest award honors the discovery of T-reg cells—known as the body's "security guards"—which patrol the body to disarm other defenders that assault the body's own tissues.

We know that this mechanism fails in autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and RA.

The Nobel panel added, "The discoveries have laid the foundation for a new field of research and accelerated the development of innovative treatments, for example for tumors and immune disorders."

Regarding cancer, T-regs block the system from attacking the growth, so studies are focused on lowering their numbers.

For autoimmune diseases, trials are testing increasing T-reg cells so the organism is not under attack. A comparable approach could also be useful in minimizing the chances of organ transplant rejection.

Innovative Studies

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, from a Japanese institution, performed tests on rodents that had their thymus removed, leading to self-attack conditions.

The researcher showed that injecting immune cells from other animals could prevent the illness—suggesting there was a mechanism for blocking immune cells from harming the host.

Mary Brunkow, from the a research center in a US city, and Fred Ramsdell, now at a biotech firm in San Francisco, were studying an genetic immune disorder in mice and people that resulted in the discovery of a gene critical for how T-regs operate.

"Their pioneering work has revealed how the immune system is controlled by T-reg cells, stopping it from mistakenly targeting the body's own tissues," said a prominent biological science expert.

"This work is a striking example of how fundamental biological research can have far-reaching consequences for human health."