Autoimmune Life Blog

This giving season, on behalf of our team, I extend a heartfelt thank you to all BRI donors and share some of the meaningful ways your philanthropy supports our work.

A new study, led by a BRI researcher and published in Science Translational Medicine, put engineered t-regulatory cells to the test. In lab tests, the research team found that the engineered cells controlled the cells that attack the pancreas in T1D patients.

Ayman, 23, enjoys playing the drums and working at MOD Pizza — he was even in one of MOD’s TV commercials. He loves Pepper, his schnoodle (schnauzer-poodle).

What goes wrong in the immune system that causes autoimmune disease or limits its ability to fight infections? That’s the question Bernard Khor, MD, PhD, started with 12 years ago. His search for answers led him somewhere unexpected: to people with Down syndrome. 

Caroline Stefani, PhD, became fascinated with the immune system while pursuing her doctorate in microbiology. She loved using imaging tools to examine the worlds of cells and bacteria. But one thing frustrated her. 

BRI was formed with a clear plan: First, answer key fundamental questions about the immune system. Then, build on those answers to change lives. This is a very exciting time because we’re reaching that second stage of the plan.

Scientists at the Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) and TrialNet, a global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research consortium, have spent decades working to answer a bold question: Can we stop T1D before it starts?

Steven Ziegler, PhD, still has questions about a protein called thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) — even after studying it for more than 30 years. The Ziegler Lab helped establish that TSLP plays a role in asthma, lupus and several cancers.

Hayley Waterman was in college when her mom was diagnosed with a mixed connective tissue autoimmune disease. “It’s similar to lupus but even more vague in definition,” Hayley says.

Immune cells perform different functions in different parts of the body. Some fight off infections in the skin. Others protect the lungs from pollutants. But how do these cells learn to do the right job in the right place? And why does that process sometimes go wrong?