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This year's prestigious award in medical science was awarded for revolutionary discoveries that clarify how the body's defense network targets harmful pathogens while protecting the body's own cells.

Three esteemed scientists—from Japan Shimon Sakaguchi and American experts Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—received this honor.

The work uncovered specialized "sentinels" within the defense system that eliminate rogue defense cells capable of harming the organism.

These discoveries are now enabling innovative therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer.

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

Decisive Findings

"Their research has been essential for understanding how the body's defenses functions and the reason we don't all develop severe autoimmune diseases," commented the head of the award panel.

This team's studies explain a fundamental question: How does the defense system defend us from countless infections while keeping our healthy cells intact?

The immune system uses white blood cells that scan for signs of infection, including viruses and bacteria it has never encountered.

These defenders employ detectors—known as recognition units—that are produced by chance in countless variations.

That gives the immune system the ability to fight a broad range of threats, but the randomness of the process unavoidably creates immune cells that can attack the body.

Protectors of the Body

Researchers earlier knew that some of these problematic defense cells were eliminated in the immune organ—where white blood cells develop.

The latest award honors the identification of regulatory T-cells—described as the body's "peacekeepers"—which patrol the body to neutralize other immune cells that attack the body's own tissues.

It is known that this process malfunctions in self-attack conditions such as juvenile diabetes, MS, and RA.

A Nobel panel added, "The discoveries have established a novel area of investigation and spurred the development of new treatments, for example for cancer and autoimmune diseases."

Regarding malignancies, regulatory T-cells prevent the body from attacking the tumor, so research are aimed at reducing their numbers.

In autoimmune diseases, experiments are testing boosting regulatory T-cells so the body is not being harmed. A comparable method could also be useful in reducing the risks of organ transplant failure.

Pioneering Studies

Prof Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, conducted experiments on mice that had their immune gland removed, causing autoimmune disease.

He showed that introducing immune cells from healthy mice could stop the disease—suggesting there was a system for preventing defenders from harming the body.

Mary Brunkow, from the a research center in a US city, and Fred Ramsdell, currently at a biotech firm in San Francisco, were studying an inherited autoimmune disease in mice and humans that led to the identification of a genetic factor vital for how regulatory T-cells operate.

"Their pioneering work has revealed how the immune system is controlled by T-reg cells, preventing it from mistakenly attacking the healthy cells," commented a prominent biological science expert.

"This work is a striking example of how fundamental biological study can have broad implications for public health."