More than $1.3 million was raised at the 17th Annual Dreambuilders’ Ball to benefit diabetes research at Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI). The popular gala sold out weeks before the May 10 event at the Seattle Westin Hotel. More than 900 attendees participated in the black-tie event featuring entertainment by The Pointer Sisters.

This year’s patient speaker was Gaylia Meitzen, owner of CEM Development Company and BRI board member. She also provided a generous matching donation during the spotlight on Giving. “I’ve had diabetes for 39 years, so this cause is very important to me,” said Meitzen. “Our dream is a cure for diabetes. BRI is doing fabulous work in unlocking the immune system and we are close. Throughout the night, people said they were inspired by my story. Personally, I am inspired by the energy of people who truly gave from the heart. It was a privilege for me to be included in Dreambuilders’ Ball in such a significant way.”

This year’s event honorees were Becky and Jack Benaroya, who have long believed in giving back to the community and improving the quality of life for community members and future generations. Through the course of their lives, the Benaroya family has served as a powerful example of what great things can be accomplished when individuals and families support important causes and projects. The Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) is named in recognition of the Benaroya family’s leadership in the development of a world-class research institute that focuses on unlocking the mysteries of the immune system.

“At BRI, the phrase ‘unlocking the immune system’ reflects the work of teams of scientists and clinicians who have pioneered an era in which we are conducting multiple clinical trials of immune system modulation in children and young adults with diabetes as well as in adults with other autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease,” said Gerald Nepom, MD, PhD, Director of BRI. “The time gap from laboratory discoveries to clinical testing has never been shorter and the theme of this Dreambuilders’ Ball--Dream, Inspire, Discover-- provides a roadmap for our work. Philanthropy is essential for research progress and we thank all of our generous donors for their support during this remarkable event.”

What causes our body's immune system to make mistakes, leading to
disease? Why does our immune system sometimes attack the body's tissues,
resulting in autoimmunity? Uncover the mystery of how diabetes results
from uncontrolled autoimmune disease, as Dr. Gerald Nepom, Director of
Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason and Affiliate Professor at
the University of Washington, discusses what happens when the body's
immune system accidentally attacks itself in "Predicting and Preventing
Autoimmune Diabetes" from the Molecular Medicine Series on UWTV.

Watch this program online via webstream or podcast:
http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=24434

For more programs in this series, visit:
http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayseries.aspx?fid=4949

Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI) has been awarded just over $5.57 million from the Washington State Life Sciences Discovery Fund for a major new research initiative, named the Program for Autoimmune Disease Intervention (PADI). Led by BRI Director Gerald Nepom, MD, PhD, this program will focus on applying genetic and immunologic discoveries to benefit patients with autoimmune diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosis.

Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI)
recently received a $5.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to further research allergens. The BRI team will work to study immune response to environmental allergens. The scientists will use tetramers to identify and study cells from individuals who are allergic to cat dander, tree and grass pollen, peanuts, mold and others.

Learn about the upcoming diabetes screenings being held throughout the Pacific Northwest and find out about regional screening sites.