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This year's Nobel Prize in medical science has been granted for revolutionary findings that clarify how the immune system targets dangerous infections while protecting the body's own cells.

Three esteemed scientists—from Japan Shimon Sakaguchi and US scientists Mary Brunkow and Dr. Ramsdell—received this honor.

Their work identified unique "sentinels" within the defense system that eliminate malfunctioning immune cells that could attacking the body.

These findings are now paving the way for new therapies for immune disorders and cancer.

The winners will share a prize fund valued at 11 million Swedish kronor.

Crucial Findings

"Their work has been decisive for understanding how the immune system operates and the reason we don't all suffer from serious autoimmune diseases," stated the chair of the Nobel Committee.

The trio's studies explain a core mystery: In what way does the defense system defend us from numerous invaders while leaving our own tissues unharmed?

Our immune system uses immune cells that scan for indicators of infection, even viruses and bacteria it has never encountered.

These cells employ sensors—known as recognition units—that are produced by chance in a vast number of variations.

This gives the immune system the ability to fight a broad range of invaders, but the randomness of the mechanism unavoidably creates immune cells that may target the body.

Protectors of the Body

Researchers earlier understood that a portion of these harmful defense cells were destroyed in the immune organ—where immune cells mature.

The latest award honors the discovery of regulatory T-cells—described as the body's "peacekeepers"—which travel through the system to neutralize other immune cells that assault the body's own tissues.

It is known that this process fails in autoimmune diseases such as juvenile diabetes, MS, and rheumatoid arthritis.

A Nobel panel stated, "The discoveries have established a novel area of investigation and spurred the creation of new treatments, for instance for tumors and immune disorders."

In cancer, regulatory T-cells prevent the body from fighting the tumor, so research are focused on lowering their numbers.

For autoimmune diseases, experiments are testing increasing regulatory T-cells so the organism is not under attack. A similar approach could also be effective in minimizing the risks of organ transplant rejection.

Innovative Studies

Professor Sakaguchi, of Osaka University, conducted tests on rodents that had their thymus extracted, leading to autoimmune disease.

He demonstrated that introducing defense cells from healthy animals could prevent the disease—suggesting there was a system for preventing immune cells from harming the host.

Mary Brunkow, affiliated with the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at a biotech firm in San Francisco, were investigating an inherited immune disorder in mice and people that led to the identification of a genetic factor critical for the way T-regs function.

"The pioneering research has revealed how the body's defenses is controlled by T-reg cells, stopping it from accidentally attacking the healthy cells," commented a leading physiology specialist.

"This research is a remarkable illustration of how basic physiological research can have far-reaching implications for human health."