Life Without Disease

Dr. Marco Orecchioni has pioneered work showing that immune cells in your arteries can “sniff ” out their surroundings and cause inlammation. These cells, called macrophages, have the same kind of olfactory receptors found in the nose. As these macrophages detect early markers of cardiovascular disease, they kick off an inlammatory response and make matters worse. Dr. Orecchioni’s work suggests we could block this process to stop heart disease progression

On a molecular level, no two tumors are alike. Dr. Stephen Schoenberger will discuss how personalized cancer vaccines use these differences to mobilize the immune system against cancer cells.

In many regions of the world, dengue and Zika virus go hand in hand. Dr. Sujan Shresta will discuss why prior exposure to dengue can both protect against or worsen infection with Zika.

For reasons not yet understood, autoimmune disorders are on the rise, from type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis to lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The numbers are staggering: 1 in 12 Americans and 1 in 9 women will develop an autoimmune disorder. Most autoimmune diseases are caused when malfunctioning T cells start attacking the body’s own tissues. La Jolla Institute Professor Dr. Michael Croft, one of the world’s foremost experts on T cell biology, discusses the latest insights into what happens when the immune system goes rogue, as well as, ongoing efforts to treat and prevent autoimmunity.

During their early life, immune cells learn to get along with the body’s own cells. In individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) that tolerance breaks down and immune cells selectively destroy insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Dr. Matthias von Herrath discusses the latest insights into why beta cells become the target of a misdirected immune attack.

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Dr. Shane Crotty discusses his pioneering vaccine research, which seeks to discover why some viruses have evaded all efforts to create an effective vaccine.

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