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The prestigious award in Physiology or Medicine has been granted for revolutionary discoveries that clarify how the body's defense network attacks harmful pathogens while sparing the healthy tissues.

A trio of renowned researchers—from Japan Shimon Sakaguchi and US experts Dr. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—share this honor.

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

The findings are now paving the way for innovative treatments for autoimmune diseases and malignancies.

These laureates will share a monetary award worth 11 million Swedish kronor.

Crucial Discoveries

"The work has been decisive for comprehending how the body's defenses functions and the reason we don't all develop severe self-attack conditions," stated the chair of the Nobel Committee.

The trio's research address a core question: In what way does the defense system protect us from countless invaders while keeping our own tissues unharmed?

Our immune system employs immune cells that scan for signs of infection, including pathogens and germs it has not met before.

Such cells utilize sensors—called recognition units—that are generated randomly in countless combinations.

This gives the defense network the ability to combat a wide array of threats, but the randomness of the process inevitably produces white blood cells that can attack the host.

Security Guards of the Immune System

Scientists earlier understood that some of these problematic defense cells were eliminated in the immune organ—the site where immune cells mature.

This year's award recognizes the identification of T-reg cells—described as the immune system's "security guards"—which travel through the system to disarm other defenders that assault the healthy cells.

We know that this process malfunctions in self-attack conditions such as type-1 diabetes, MS, and rheumatoid arthritis.

A prize committee stated, "These findings have laid the foundation for a new field of research and accelerated the creation of innovative treatments, for example for cancer and immune disorders."

Regarding malignancies, T-regs prevent the body from fighting the tumor, so studies are aimed at lowering their quantity.

For autoimmune diseases, experiments are testing boosting T-reg cells so the body is not under attack. A comparable approach could also be effective in minimizing the chances of transplanted organ rejection.

Pioneering Studies

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, conducted tests on mice that had their immune gland removed, leading to autoimmune disease.

The researcher demonstrated that introducing defense cells from healthy mice could stop the illness—implying there was a system for blocking immune cells from attacking the body.

Dr. Brunkow, affiliated with the Institute for Systems Biology in a US city, and Fred Ramsdell, currently at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in a California city, were investigating an genetic immune disorder in mice and humans that resulted in the identification of a gene critical for the way T-regs operate.

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

"This research is a striking illustration of how fundamental physiological study can have broad consequences for human health."