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Why the Immune System Doesn’t Attack the Body

Basics of the Immune System

  • The immune system defends the body against pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and harmful molecules.
  • Key players: T cells, a type of white blood cell, coordinate immune responses and destroy infected cells.
  • Problem: How does the immune system avoid attacking the body’s own healthy cells? This is called immune tolerance.

Relevance

  • GS-3 (Science & Technology):
    • Advances in immunology and biotechnology
    • Implications for healthcare, personalized medicine, and public health
  • GS-2/3 (Ethics & Innovation):
    • Research ethics, translational research, and equitable access to advanced therapies

The Discovery

  • By the 1980s, scientists hypothesized the existence of a special type of T cell that prevents the immune system from attacking itself.
  • These were later identified as regulatory T cells (Tregs), also known as “police” T cells.
  • Function of Tregs:
    • Suppress overactive immune responses.
    • Maintain tolerance to self-antigens.
    • Prevent autoimmune diseases (conditions where the body attacks itself).

Key Experiments

  • Shimon Sakaguchis study (1995):
    • Surgically removed the thymus (T cell maturation site) in newborn mice.
    • Result: Mice developed autoimmune conditions unless Tregs were present.
    • Conclusion: Thymus is crucial for producing regulatory T cells; without them, self-attack occurs.
  • Later experiments identified FOXP3 gene as essential for Treg development.
    • Mutations in FOXP3 → autoimmune conditions like IPEX syndrome in humans and Scurfy mice in animals.

Contributions of Researchers

  • Shimon Sakaguchi (Japan):
    • Discovered Tregs and their role in immune tolerance.
    • Coined the term “police T cells.”
  • Mary F. Brunkow & Frederick J. Ramsdell (USA):
    • Identified the FOXP3 gene controlling Treg development.
    • Linked genetic mutations to autoimmune diseases in humans.

Significance of Regulatory T Cells

  • Autoimmunity: Prevents the immune system from attacking organs and tissues.
  • Cancer therapy:
    • Some therapies target Tregs to enhance immune attacks on tumors.
    • Understanding Tregs helps balance immune activation and suppression.
  • Drug development: Potential to create therapies for autoimmune diseases by modulating Treg activity.
  • Gene therapy: FOXP3 gene research enables interventions in rare immune disorders.

Why This Is in the News

  • 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Sakaguchi, Brunkow, and Ramsdell.
  • Recognises the decades-long work in immune tolerance and regulatory T cell biology.
  • Implications for:
    • Understanding autoimmune diseases.
    • Development of immunotherapies for cancer.
    • Potential future therapies to balance immune overactivity.
  • Highlights the integration of genetics, immunology, and therapeutic innovation.

Bottom Line

  • Regulatory T cells are the body’s internal police, ensuring that immune responses target invaders but not healthy cells.
  • Discovery of these cells and their genetic control mechanisms has transformed:
    • Basic immunology.
    • Clinical management of autoimmune conditions.
    • Precision medicine approaches in cancer therapy.

October 2025
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