La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Our focus is immunology, because we believe that no other biomedical discipline has greater implications for human health than immunology. By unraveling the complexities of the immune system, LJI researchers are directly tackling an extraordinarily diverse array of diseases, which together account for more than two-thirds of all deaths in the U.S. each year. Such diseases include type 1 diabetes, cancer, COVID-19, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, allergies, influenza, dengue fever, and many other illnesses. La Jolla Institute is home to four research centers that focus the efforts of collaborative groups of researchers on defined areas of inquiry, to accelerate progress toward the development of new treatments and vaccines to prevent and cure autoimmune conditions, cancer, and infectious disease, and to uncover the largely unexplored sex-specific variables in immune responses. LJI is host to three national databases that give biomedical researchers free access to the world’s largest collection of epitopes and related scientific data and provide insights into how genes act within the immune system to set it in motion. Life without Disease is a pursuit that requires a continually expanding understanding of the immune system, and the ability to translate knowledge and discoveries developed in scientific research into technologies that improve life and health. Learn more at https://www.lji.org

Most viruses treat the human body as a battleground. These pathogens try to infect our cells while dodging antibodies and immune cell attacks. Herpesviruses use the human body as a cozy new home. These pathogens are experts at evading immune cells and establishing lifelong infections. LJI scientists look for new ways to fight this sly family of viruses - read more here: https://lnkd.in/gX5NqDCK #Herpesvirus #EBV #viruses #vaccines #VaccineResearch

Scientists at LJI have developed six lines of humanized mice that can serve as valuable models for studying human cases of COVID-19, already helping scientists capture a clearer picture of how SARS-CoV-2 affects humans. These mouse models are important for COVID-19 research because their cells were engineered to include two important human molecules that are involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection of human cells, which can help shed light on how SARS-CoV-2 moves through the body and why different people experience wildly different COVID-19 symptoms. They are also available to the wider COVID-19 research community. “This work is part of LJI’s mission to contribute to pandemic preparedness around the world,” says LJI Professor Sujan Shresta, Ph.D., who co-led the research with LJI Histopathology Core Director Kenneth Kim DACVP, and the late Kurt Jarnagin, Ph.D., of Synbal Inc., Inc. #immunology #research #COVID19 #SarsCoV2 https://lnkd.in/gV8GecN5

LJI Professor Sujan Shresta, Ph.D., will receive more than $2.4 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to help develop vaccines against viruses with pandemic potential. Over the next three years, Shresta will work closely with collaborators across the nation to test experimental vaccine strategies against deadly viruses from the flavivirus and alphavirus families. “This work is an important part of LJI’s mission of pandemic preparedness,” says Shresta. “Both flaviviruses and alphaviruses cause numerous human diseases of global concern—and can cause explosive outbreaks with pandemic potential.” Congrats Dr. Shresta ?? #Virology #Vaccines #InfectiousDisease #Health #Arboviruses https://lnkd.in/d7Cf6maH

An eye on viruses—in San Diego and S?o Paulo: A Q&A with virologist Rúbens Alves, MSc, PhD, sharing what he learned at LJI—and how his research in S?o Paulo may advance influenza vaccine development. "I feel really motivated to help people in my country and pass along what I know to the next generation. I am carrying both the scientific knowledge and values from the Shresta lab—I want my students and postdocs to be even more successful than I was!" Read more with the link in our bio. #virology?#S?oPaulo?#brasil?#SanDiego?#researcher?#vaccine?#immunology https://lnkd.in/dzQ4VXvr

LJI is proud to announce new milestones in its partnership with the Global Autoimmune Institute (GAI), who is investing over $800,000, marking a major step forward in the advancement of autoimmune disease research and patient-centered resources. “GAI’s dedication to advancing autoimmune disease research and empowering patients aligns seamlessly with LJI’s mission to unlock the mysteries of the immune system,” says LJI Professor, President & CEO Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D., MBA. “We are grateful for this opportunity to deepen our collaboration with such an influential partner in autoimmune research.” #AutoimmuneDisease #Health #ImmuneSystem #SanDiego https://lnkd.in/dkkWXk3P

Scientists at LJI capture a first look at the key Ebola virus nucleocapsid structure within infected host cells using high-resolution imaging techniques—and uncover where a virus is vulnerable to new therapies. This discovery paves the way for antivirals against the Ebola virus and its deadly relatives, like Marburg virus. “A universal antiviral is the dream for stopping any kind of viral disease,” says LJI Staff Scientist Reika Watanabe, Ph.D., who led the study as a first author. “This study brings us a step closer to finding a universal antiviral.” #Ebola #Marburg #imaging #virology #cryoEM #tomography Erica Ollmann Saphire https://lnkd.in/gcirimAe

Vaccine researchers at LJI are proud to receive support, up to $49M, from the U.S. Government’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to lead a national team in developing life-saving vaccines against a broad array of herpesviruses that infect the majority of Americans, causing cancer, autoimmune disease, and birth defects. The new LJI project is called America’s SHIELD: Strategic Herpesvirus Immune Evasion and Latency Defense. America’s SHIELD will protect against herpesviruses such as Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus (CMV) that are major global health concerns. The highly contagious Epstein-Barr virus, for example, causes mononucleosis, multiple sclerosis, inflammation of the heart muscles and brain, and is implicated in gastric cancers and multiple forms of lymphoma. CMV can cause devastating birth defects if a person is infected or re-infected during pregnancy, so much so that CMV represents a $4 billion annual cost to the U.S. economy. “ARPA-H empowers scientists to take on the most pressing problems in human health." - LJI Professor, President & CEO Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D., MBA https://lnkd.in/g5bySkD2 #vaccine #research #cancer #autoimmunedisease #SHIELD

?? Calling all #compbio scientists, join the CMI-PB Challenge, hosted by LJI's Bjoern Peters Lab! Test out your modeling skills to predict immune responses to B. pertussis #whoopingcough booster vaccination using multi-omics datasets for a chance to win. Top performers will be rewarded with a cash prize, bragging rights, and an opportunity for a co-authorship ?? Enter the challenge on your own, or work with a team of researchers. The submission deadline is November 22nd. Let's show how #bioinformatics can boost health research! For more information: https://cmi-pb.org #multiomics #datascience #immunology #VaccineResearch

LJI scientists and vaccine experts are keeping a close eye on the emerging #H5N1 virus, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or "bird flu." New research led by LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Dr.Biol.Sci., and LJI Research Assistant Professor Alba Grifoni, Ph.D., suggests that many people already have immune cells on “stand by” to fight the H5N1 virus. By comparing genetic sequences from H5N1 to genetic sequences from seasonal influenza viruses that already circulate in humans, the LJI team uncovered important similarities between H5N1 and these common viruses, which allowed them to predict that many people already have “cross-reactive” T cells that are ready to target H5N1—should it ever mutate to cause widespread disease in humans. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gWPx_MMu #birdflu #avianinfluenza #tcells #immunology #disease