Autoimmune Life Blog

Without clinical research participants, we might not have groundbreaking cancer treatments like immunotherapy or vaccines for polio, rubella and other life-threatening diseases.

In April 2017, Steve Gordon and his daughter, Callie Triller, hiked to Machu Picchu in Peru. Seven months later, Steve started experiencing severe joint pain and learned he had rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Gretchen Schoenstein has dealt with multiple autoimmune diseases — including Hashimoto’s disease and sarcoidosis — for over two decades.

To many, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may seem like an older person’s worry. And it’s true that many people who live with RA develop it later in life. But not all.

BRI scientists are now discovering a new, exciting commonality between autoimmune diseases. This research points to an early event that drives the development of autoimmunity and which could be targeted by new therapies.

Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI) is relatively small compared to large research universities, but its impact goes well beyond its size and location, accelerating scientific discovery globally.

Researchers have found at the time of diagnosis with type 1 diabetes that many people continue to produce small amounts of insulin.