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The prestigious award in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded for revolutionary discoveries that clarify how the immune system attacks harmful pathogens while sparing the healthy tissues.

Three esteemed scientists—from Japan Shimon Sakaguchi and American experts Dr. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—share this honor.

Their research uncovered specialized "security guards" within the defense system that remove rogue immune cells capable of harming the body.

These findings are now paving the way for new therapies for autoimmune diseases and malignancies.

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

Crucial Findings

"The work has been essential for comprehending how the immune system functions and why we don't all suffer from serious autoimmune diseases," stated the chair of the award panel.

The team's studies address a core mystery: How does the defense system defend us from numerous invaders while keeping our own tissues intact?

Our immune system employs white blood cells that scan for indicators of infection, even viruses and bacteria it has never encountered.

These cells employ detectors—called recognition units—that are generated randomly in a vast number of variations.

That gives the defense network the capacity to fight a broad range of invaders, but the unpredictability of the process inevitably produces immune cells that may target the host.

Security Guards of the Immune System

Researchers earlier understood that a portion of these problematic defense cells were eliminated in the immune organ—where immune cells mature.

This year's award honors the discovery of regulatory T-cells—known as the body's "peacekeepers"—which travel through the body to neutralize other defenders that attack the body's own tissues.

It is known that this process malfunctions in autoimmune diseases such as juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and RA.

The Nobel panel stated, "The findings have established a new field of investigation and spurred the development of new therapies, for instance for tumors and immune disorders."

In cancer, regulatory T-cells prevent the system from attacking the growth, so studies are focused on lowering their numbers.

For autoimmune diseases, trials are testing boosting regulatory T-cells so the organism is not being harmed. A comparable approach could also be effective in minimizing the chances of organ transplant failure.

Pioneering Studies

Prof Shimon Sakaguchi, of a Japanese institution, performed experiments on rodents that had their thymus removed, leading to autoimmune disease.

The researcher demonstrated that injecting immune cells from healthy mice could prevent the disease—implying there was a system for blocking immune cells from harming the body.

Mary Brunkow, from the a research center in a US city, and Fred Ramsdell, now at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco, were investigating an inherited autoimmune disease in rodents and humans that led to the identification of a gene critical for the way T-regs operate.

"Their pioneering research has revealed how the body's defenses is kept in check by regulatory T cells, stopping it from accidentally attacking the healthy cells," commented a leading physiology expert.

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