Nobel Prize Recognizes Groundbreaking Body's Defenses Research
The Nobel Prize in medical science has been awarded for revolutionary findings that clarify how the immune system targets dangerous infections while sparing the body's own cells.
A trio of renowned researchers—from Japan Prof. Sakaguchi and US scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell—share this accolade.
The research uncovered specialized "security guards" within the immune system that eliminate malfunctioning immune cells capable of attacking the organism.
The discoveries are now paving the way for new treatments for immune disorders and malignancies.
The laureates will share a monetary award worth 11m Swedish kronor.
Crucial Discoveries
"The research has been decisive for understanding how the body's defenses operates and the reason we do not all develop severe autoimmune diseases," stated the head of the award panel.
The trio's studies explain a fundamental mystery: How does the immune system protect us from countless infections while leaving our healthy cells unharmed?
Our immune system employs immune cells that scan for signs of disease, even pathogens and bacteria it has never encountered.
Such defenders utilize sensors—called receptors—that are produced by chance in countless combinations.
That gives the defense network the ability to combat a wide array of invaders, but the randomness of the process unavoidably creates immune cells that can attack the host.
Security Guards of the Body
Researchers previously understood that a portion of these problematic defense cells were eliminated in the thymus—the site where white blood cells develop.
This year's Nobel Prize honors the identification of regulatory T-cells—known as the immune system's "peacekeepers"—which patrol the body to neutralize any immune cells that assault the healthy cells.
We know that this process malfunctions in autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and RA.
The Nobel panel added, "The discoveries have established a new field of research and accelerated the creation of new treatments, for example for cancer and autoimmune diseases."
Regarding cancer, T-regs prevent the system from fighting the tumor, so research are aimed at reducing their quantity.
For self-attack disorders, experiments are exploring boosting regulatory T-cells so the body is not being harmed. A similar approach could also be useful in minimizing the risks of organ transplant failure.
Innovative Experiments
Professor Sakaguchi, of Osaka University, conducted tests on rodents that had their thymus removed, leading to autoimmune disease.
The researcher showed that injecting defense cells from other mice could prevent the illness—suggesting there was a system for blocking immune cells from harming the host.
Dr. Brunkow, affiliated with the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, and Fred Ramsdell, now at a biotech firm in a California city, were investigating an inherited immune disorder in rodents and humans that resulted in the discovery of a gene critical for the way regulatory T-cells operate.
"Their pioneering research has revealed how the immune system is controlled by T-reg cells, preventing it from mistakenly attacking the body's own tissues," said a prominent biological science expert.
"The research is a remarkable illustration of how basic physiological research can have far-reaching consequences for human health."
