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The Nobel Prize in medical science was awarded for transformative findings that clarify how the immune system attacks dangerous infections while protecting the healthy tissues.

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

Their research identified specialized "security guards" within the immune system that remove malfunctioning defense cells capable of harming the organism.

These discoveries are now enabling new therapies for immune disorders and cancer.

The winners will divide a monetary award valued at 11m SEK.

Crucial Discoveries

"The research has been essential for comprehending how the immune system operates and why we do not all develop severe autoimmune diseases," commented the head of the award panel.

The team's studies address a fundamental question: How does the immune system protect us from numerous invaders while leaving our healthy cells intact?

Our body's protection system employs white blood cells that search for indicators of disease, including pathogens and bacteria it has not met before.

These cells utilize sensors—called recognition units—that are generated by chance in countless combinations.

That provides the immune system the ability to fight a wide array of invaders, but the randomness of the process inevitably creates immune cells that can attack the host.

Protectors of the Immune System

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

This year's award recognizes the identification of regulatory T-cells—described as the body's "security guards"—which patrol the body to disarm other defenders that attack the healthy cells.

We know that this process fails in autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The prize committee added, "The findings have laid the foundation for a new field of research and accelerated the creation of new therapies, for instance for cancer and immune disorders."

Regarding cancer, regulatory T-cells prevent the system from fighting the growth, so research are focused on reducing their quantity.

In self-attack disorders, experiments are exploring increasing regulatory T-cells so the organism is no longer being harmed. A similar method could also be effective in minimizing the risks of transplanted organ rejection.

Pioneering Experiments

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, performed experiments on mice that had their thymus removed, causing self-attack conditions.

The researcher demonstrated that introducing immune cells from other animals could prevent the illness—suggesting there was a mechanism for preventing defenders from attacking the host.

Mary Brunkow, affiliated with the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, and Fred Ramsdell, currently at a biotech firm in a California city, were studying an inherited immune disorder in rodents and humans that led to the identification of a gene critical for the way regulatory T-cells function.

"Their groundbreaking research has revealed how the immune system is controlled by regulatory T cells, preventing it from accidentally attacking the healthy cells," commented a prominent biological science specialist.

"This research is a remarkable example of how fundamental biological study can have far-reaching implications for public health."