🔗 Share this article

This year's Nobel Prize in medical science has been granted for revolutionary discoveries that illuminate how the body's defense network attacks harmful infections while protecting the body's own cells.

A trio of esteemed researchers—Japan's Prof. Sakaguchi and American scientists Dr. Brunkow and Dr. Ramsdell—received this honor.

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

The findings are now enabling innovative treatments for immune disorders and malignancies.

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

Crucial Discoveries

"The work has been decisive for comprehending how the body's defenses functions and why we do not all develop severe self-attack conditions," commented the head of the award panel.

This team's research explain a core mystery: How does the defense system protect us from countless invaders while leaving our healthy cells unharmed?

Our immune system employs immune cells that search for signs of disease, including pathogens and bacteria it has not met before.

These cells employ sensors—known as receptors—that are generated by chance in countless variations.

This provides the immune system the ability to fight a wide array of threats, but the randomness of the process inevitably produces immune cells that can attack the host.

Protectors of the Immune System

Scientists earlier knew that a portion of these harmful defense cells were eliminated in the immune organ—the site where white blood cells mature.

This year's award recognizes the discovery of T-reg cells—described as the immune system's "peacekeepers"—which travel through the system to neutralize any defenders that attack the healthy cells.

We know that this mechanism malfunctions in autoimmune diseases such as juvenile diabetes, MS, and RA.

The Nobel panel stated, "The discoveries have laid the foundation for a new field of research and spurred the development of new therapies, for instance for tumors and immune disorders."

Regarding cancer, T-regs prevent the body from fighting the growth, so studies are focused on lowering their numbers.

In autoimmune diseases, trials are testing boosting regulatory T-cells so the organism is no longer being harmed. A comparable approach could also be effective in minimizing the chances of transplanted organ failure.

Innovative Experiments

Prof Sakaguchi, from Osaka University, performed experiments on rodents that had their thymus removed, causing self-attack conditions.

He showed that injecting immune cells from other animals could prevent the disease—suggesting there was a system for preventing defenders from attacking the body.

Dr. Brunkow, affiliated with the Institute for Systems Biology in a US city, and Dr. Ramsdell, currently at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in a California city, were studying an inherited autoimmune disease in rodents and people that resulted in the discovery of a genetic factor critical for the way T-regs function.

"Their pioneering research has uncovered how the immune system is kept in check by regulatory T cells, preventing it from accidentally attacking the healthy cells," said a prominent biological science specialist.

"The research is a striking illustration of how basic biological study can have far-reaching implications for human health."