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This year's Nobel Prize in medical science has been awarded for revolutionary findings that clarify how the immune system targets dangerous pathogens while protecting the healthy tissues.

Three renowned researchers—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and American experts Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—received this honor.

The research identified specialized "security guards" within the immune system that eliminate malfunctioning immune cells that could harming the body.

These discoveries are now paving the way for new treatments for autoimmune diseases and cancer.

These winners will divide a monetary award valued at 11m Swedish kronor.

Decisive Discoveries

"The work has been essential for understanding how the body's defenses operates and the reason we do not all suffer from serious self-attack conditions," stated the head of the award panel.

The trio's research address a core mystery: How does the immune system protect us from numerous infections while keeping our healthy cells intact?

The body's protection system employs immune cells that scan for signs of disease, including viruses and bacteria it has never encountered.

These cells utilize sensors—called receptors—that are produced by chance in a vast number of combinations.

That gives the defense network the capacity to combat a broad range of threats, but the unpredictability of the mechanism inevitably creates immune cells that may attack the body.

Security Guards of the Immune System

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

This year's award recognizes the discovery of regulatory T-cells—described as the body's "peacekeepers"—which patrol the system to disarm any defenders that attack the healthy cells.

We know that this mechanism malfunctions in autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes, MS, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The Nobel panel stated, "These discoveries have established a novel area of investigation and spurred the development of new therapies, for instance for cancer and immune disorders."

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

In autoimmune diseases, experiments are exploring boosting T-reg cells so the organism is not being harmed. A similar approach could also be useful in minimizing the risks of transplanted organ failure.

Innovative Experiments

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, of a Japanese institution, performed experiments on mice that had their thymus removed, causing autoimmune disease.

The researcher showed that injecting immune cells from healthy mice could prevent the disease—suggesting there was a mechanism for blocking defenders from harming the body.

Mary Brunkow, affiliated with the a research center in a US city, and Fred Ramsdell, currently at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in a California city, were studying an inherited immune disorder in mice and people that led to the discovery of a gene critical for how T-regs operate.

"The groundbreaking work has uncovered how the immune system is kept in check by T-reg cells, preventing it from mistakenly targeting the body's own tissues," commented a prominent biological science specialist.

"The work is a striking illustration of how basic biological study can have broad consequences for public health."