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This year's prestigious award in Physiology or Medicine has been granted for revolutionary findings that illuminate how the immune system targets dangerous pathogens while protecting the healthy tissues.

A trio of renowned researchers—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and American scientists Dr. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—share this accolade.

Their work uncovered unique "sentinels" within the immune system that eliminate malfunctioning immune cells capable of harming the organism.

The discoveries are now paving the way for new therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer.

These winners will share a monetary award worth 11m Swedish kronor.

Crucial Findings

"The research has been essential for understanding how the immune system operates and the reason we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases," stated the head of the award panel.

This team's studies explain a core mystery: How does the immune system protect us from countless invaders while leaving our own tissues unharmed?

The immune system uses white blood cells that scan for indicators of disease, even viruses and germs it has not met before.

Such cells employ sensors—known as receptors—that are generated by chance in countless combinations.

This gives the defense network the ability to combat a broad range of invaders, but the unpredictability of the mechanism inevitably creates immune cells that can attack the body.

Protectors of the Body

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

The latest award recognizes the identification of regulatory T-cells—described as the immune system's "security guards"—which patrol the body to neutralize any defenders that assault the healthy cells.

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

The Nobel panel added, "The discoveries have established a novel area of research and accelerated the creation of new therapies, for example for tumors and autoimmune diseases."

Regarding malignancies, regulatory T-cells prevent the system from fighting the tumor, so studies are focused on lowering their numbers.

For autoimmune diseases, experiments are exploring boosting 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.

Pioneering Experiments

Professor Sakaguchi, of a Japanese institution, performed tests on rodents that had their immune gland extracted, leading to autoimmune disease.

The researcher showed that injecting immune cells from healthy animals could stop the disease—implying there was a mechanism for blocking immune cells from attacking the host.

Dr. Brunkow, from the a research center in a US city, and Fred Ramsdell, now at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in a California city, were investigating an genetic autoimmune disease in rodents and humans that led to the identification of a genetic factor vital for the way regulatory T-cells operate.

"The pioneering work has revealed how the body's defenses is controlled by T-reg cells, stopping it from accidentally targeting the healthy cells," commented a prominent biological science specialist.

"The work is a remarkable illustration of how fundamental physiological research can have broad implications for public health."