Powering Discoveries to Rebalance the Immune System

BRI is powering discoveries to prevent and treat immune system diseases and rebalance the immune system. Our ultimate goal is to achieve a healthy immune system for every individual. Some of the diseases we study include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s and colitis as well as allergies, cancer and COVID-19.

You can learn more about the diseases being researched at BRI below. We also have a number of fact sheets about BRI and our specific areas of research. 

Autoimmune Diseases

There are approximately 110+ different types of autoimmune diseases and they affect more than 23 million Americans. Learn more about the causes, increasing prevalence and research advances regarding these diseases.

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COVID-19 & Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens ("germs") including viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, and are ranked as the second leading cause of death worldwide by the World Health Organization.

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Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin.

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Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system.

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Crohn's & Colitis

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), both also known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), are autoimmune diseases in which the body's immune system attacks the intestines.

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Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease which can damage any part of the body, including the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, primarily the synovium, the membrane that lines the joints.

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Allergies & Asthma

Allergies and asthma are immune mediated diseases that occur when the body's immune system overreacts to a foreign substance (an allergen), such as pollen or animal dander, that in most people is generally harmless.

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Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people in the United States and its incidence appears to be rising. In addition, 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed and may be at risk for long-term health complications.

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Relapsing Polychondritis

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rheumatic autoimmune disease. It is a rare disease in which the immune system attacks the body's cartilage.

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Scleroderma

Scleroderma is a rheumatic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue which causes skin thickening, spontaneous scarring, blood vessel disease and varying degrees of inflammation.

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Liver Disease

There are many diseases and disorders that can cause the liver to stop functioning properly. Some of the different causes of liver disease include viral infection, alcohol or other environmental toxins, autoimmune disease and genetics.

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Cancer

Cancer represents more than 200 different types of malignancies—diseases caused by the uncontrolled and destructive growth of cells. When cancer cells grow unregulated, they can develop into tumors, invade nearby parts of the body and spread throughout the body.

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Heart Disease

Heart disease encompasses many diseases of the heart and blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, angina pectoris (chest pain or discomfort caused by a reduced blood supply to the heart muscle), stroke and heart failure.

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