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The prestigious award in medical science was awarded for revolutionary discoveries that illuminate how the body's defense network attacks harmful infections while sparing the healthy tissues.

A trio of renowned researchers—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and American scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—share this accolade.

The work identified unique "sentinels" within the immune system that remove malfunctioning defense cells capable of harming the organism.

The discoveries are now paving the way for new therapies for autoimmune diseases and malignancies.

The laureates will share a prize fund worth 11m SEK.

Crucial Findings

"The work has been essential for comprehending how the body's defenses operates and why we do not all develop severe autoimmune diseases," commented the chair of the award panel.

This trio's studies address a core mystery: In what way does the immune system protect us from numerous infections while keeping our healthy cells intact?

Our body's protection system uses immune cells that search for indicators of disease, even viruses and germs it has not met before.

These cells utilize sensors—called recognition units—that are generated by chance in countless variations.

That gives the immune system the capacity to fight a wide array of threats, but the randomness of the process inevitably creates white blood cells that may target the body.

Protectors of the Immune System

Scientists earlier understood that some of these problematic defense cells were eliminated in the thymus—where white blood cells mature.

This year's award honors the discovery of T-reg cells—known as the body's "peacekeepers"—which travel through the body to neutralize other defenders that assault the body's own tissues.

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

The Nobel panel added, "These discoveries have laid the foundation for a novel area of investigation and accelerated the creation of innovative treatments, for instance for tumors and immune disorders."

Regarding cancer, regulatory T-cells block the body from fighting the growth, so studies are aimed at reducing their numbers.

In autoimmune diseases, trials are testing increasing regulatory T-cells so the organism is not under attack. A similar approach could also be useful in reducing the risks of transplanted organ failure.

Pioneering Experiments

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, of Osaka University, conducted experiments on mice that had their immune gland removed, leading to self-attack conditions.

The researcher demonstrated that injecting immune cells from healthy mice could prevent the illness—implying there was a system for blocking immune cells from harming the body.

Mary Brunkow, affiliated with the Institute for Systems Biology in a US city, and Dr. Ramsdell, now at a biotech firm in a California city, were investigating an inherited autoimmune disease in mice and people that led to the identification of a genetic factor vital for the way T-regs function.

"The pioneering research has revealed how the immune system is controlled by regulatory T cells, preventing it from accidentally attacking the healthy cells," said a prominent biological science expert.

"The research is a remarkable example of how fundamental physiological study can have broad consequences for human health."