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The Nobel Prize in medical science has been awarded for transformative findings that illuminate how the immune system attacks harmful infections while protecting the body's own cells.

Three renowned researchers—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and US scientists Dr. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—share this accolade.

The work uncovered specialized "security guards" within the defense system that remove malfunctioning immune cells capable of attacking the organism.

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

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

Decisive Discoveries

"The work has been decisive for understanding how the immune system operates and why we do not all develop severe self-attack conditions," stated the chair of the Nobel Committee.

This trio's research address a fundamental question: How does the immune system defend us from numerous infections while leaving our healthy cells unharmed?

The immune system uses immune cells that search for signs of disease, even viruses and bacteria it has not met before.

These cells utilize sensors—known as receptors—that are generated randomly in countless combinations.

This gives the immune system the ability to fight a wide array of threats, but the unpredictability of the mechanism unavoidably produces white blood cells that may attack the host.

Protectors of the Immune System

Scientists previously understood that a portion of these harmful white blood cells were destroyed in the thymus—where white blood cells develop.

The latest award honors the discovery of regulatory T-cells—known as the body's "peacekeepers"—which patrol the system to neutralize other immune cells that attack the healthy cells.

We know that this mechanism malfunctions in self-attack conditions such as juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

A prize committee stated, "These discoveries have established a new field of investigation and accelerated the development of new therapies, for instance for cancer and immune disorders."

In malignancies, regulatory T-cells block the body from fighting the growth, so research are aimed at reducing their numbers.

In autoimmune diseases, trials are exploring boosting regulatory T-cells so the organism is no longer being harmed. A comparable method could also be useful in minimizing the risks of transplanted organ rejection.

Pioneering Studies

Prof Shimon Sakaguchi, from a Japanese institution, conducted experiments on rodents that had their thymus extracted, causing self-attack conditions.

He demonstrated that injecting immune cells from other mice could stop the disease—implying there was a system for blocking immune cells from attacking 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 investigating an inherited immune disorder in mice and humans that resulted in the discovery of a genetic factor critical for the way regulatory T-cells operate.

"Their pioneering work has uncovered how the body's defenses is kept in check by T-reg cells, preventing it from mistakenly attacking the healthy cells," said a leading biological science specialist.

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