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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was granted for revolutionary discoveries that illuminate how the immune system targets harmful pathogens while sparing the body's own cells.

Three renowned scientists—Japan's Shimon Sakaguchi and American experts Mary Brunkow and Dr. Ramsdell—received this honor.

Their work uncovered unique "security guards" within the immune system that eliminate malfunctioning immune cells capable of attacking the organism.

The discoveries are now enabling innovative therapies for immune disorders and malignancies.

The laureates will share a monetary award valued at 11m Swedish kronor.

Crucial Discoveries

"The research has been decisive for comprehending how the immune system operates and the reason we don't all suffer from serious autoimmune diseases," commented the chair of the award panel.

The team's studies address a core mystery: In what way does the defense system defend us from numerous invaders while leaving our healthy cells intact?

Our immune system uses immune cells that search for signs of infection, even pathogens and germs it has not met before.

These cells employ detectors—called receptors—that are produced randomly in countless variations.

That gives the defense network the capacity to combat a wide array of invaders, but the randomness of the mechanism inevitably creates white blood cells that can target the host.

Protectors of the Body

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

The latest Nobel Prize honors the identification of T-reg cells—described as the body's "peacekeepers"—which travel through the system to disarm other immune cells that assault the body's own tissues.

It is known that this mechanism fails in self-attack conditions such as type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

A prize committee added, "These findings have established a new field of investigation and accelerated the development of new treatments, for example for tumors and immune disorders."

Regarding cancer, regulatory T-cells block the system from attacking the tumor, so research are aimed at reducing their numbers.

For self-attack disorders, experiments are testing boosting regulatory T-cells so the body is no longer under attack. A comparable approach could also be effective in reducing the chances of organ transplant failure.

Innovative Studies

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, from a Japanese institution, performed tests on rodents that had their immune gland removed, causing autoimmune disease.

He showed that introducing defense cells from healthy mice could prevent the illness—implying there was a system for preventing defenders from harming the body.

Dr. Brunkow, from the a research center in a US city, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at a biotech firm in San Francisco, were investigating an genetic autoimmune disease in rodents and people that led to the discovery of a genetic factor vital for how T-regs operate.

"The pioneering research has revealed how the immune system is kept in check by T-reg cells, stopping it from mistakenly attacking the healthy cells," commented a leading physiology expert.

"This research is a striking illustration of how basic biological study can have far-reaching consequences for human health."