Benaroya Research Institute

Read more: bri-news.short.gy/UdQhHg

This project was also supported by collaborations with the laboratories of Dr. Ryan Tewhey at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, Dr. Carl de Boer at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Michael Guo at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Jay Shendure at the University of Washington.

“These primary CD4 T cell emVars serve as a great jumping-off point for in-depth functional studies to identify genes that cause multiple autoimmune diseases. This brings us a step closer to understanding the mechanisms underlying autoimmune diseases and finding therapeutic targets,” said Dr. Ray.

This research not only highlights new pathways involved in autoimmune disease but also identifies potential therapeutic targets for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The researchers identified 545 specific expression-modulating variants (emVars) that likely affect how genes in T cells behave. Many of these variants were found to influence how T cells grow and respond, suggesting they play a key role in autoimmunity.

Unlike past studies that used cancer cell lines (which don’t always reflect real human immune cells), this study used T cells directly from human donors, providing a more accurate view.

Led by BRI’s John Ray, PhD, (@jraylab.bsky.social) researchers tested more than 18,000 genetic variants with a possible link to autoimmunity.

New findings published today in Nature Genetics (@natureportfolio.nature.com) unveil how genetic variants associated with autoimmune diseases alter T cell gene regulation and function. 🧵

Allen Institute for Immunology unveils landmark Human Immune Health Atlas Comprehensive dataset maps the landscape of healthy immune cells across the human lifespan

This was made possible because of a partnership with @benaroyaresearch.bsky.social and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

alleninstitute.org/news/allen-i...

Inflammatory drivers of asthma exacerbations identified in children receiving mepolizumab Among children with eosinophilic asthma receiving mepolizumab who had an exacerbation during an acute respiratory illness, three axes of inflammation were found, according to results published in JAMA Pediatrics.“Better understanding of the parts of the immune response in the lung which promotes asthma attacks can lead to more personalized treatments in the long run and lead to a push for

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New foundation from Microsoft co-founder reveals inaugural research grants, pledges $500M funding A new foundation from the estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has launched with a set of four research grant recipi | A new foundation from the estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Alle...

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InnovationRx: Paul Allen Estate Launches $500 Million Research Fund In this week’s edition of InnovationRx, we look at whether Congress will extend Obamacare subsidies, the latest data on Lilly’s obesity pill and more.

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New Fund for Science and Technology Announces Inaugural Grants The foundation is launching with an initial slate of grants to local scientific centers of excellence in Seattle.

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New $500M push to bring Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s ‘vision to bear’ A new Paul Allen estate-backed foundation pledged $500 million to scientific efforts over the next four years.

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Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s final act: New $3.1B foundation bets big on science and tech Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s estate launches a $3.1B Fund for Science and Technology to back bold research in bioscience, AI, and climate.

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Graphic text reads: “BRI among inaugural recipients of grants from the Fund for Science and Technology”

BRI is honored to be among the first recipients of grants announced today by the Fund for Science and Technology, made possible by the estate of Paul G. Allen: bri-news.short.gy/m9ACQK

(8/8): The CAUSE Network is supported by the National Institutes of Health — National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

(7/8):

✍️ Editorial from @gustavonino.bsky.social; Jose L. Gomez, MD, MS; and @mgutie.bsky.social: bri-news.short.gy/ritZSs

✍️ Editorial from @pedsleeppulm.bsky.social and Jason S. Debley, MD, MPH: bri-news.short.gy/0AA14y

(6/8):

📖 Read more: bri-news.short.gy/Behz97

🎙️ Hear from Dr. Altman: bri-news.short.gy/iMLh5j

(5/8): This research not only explains why some children don’t fully respond to mepolizumab — it also identifies new, targetable disease pathways that could shape more personalized treatments.

(4/8): “These results tell us that asthma in urban children isn’t a disease driven by a single pathway,” says Dr. Altman. “Even when we suppress one part of the immune system, others can take over and continue to drive asthma attacks.”

(3/8): The research team found that while mepolizumab effectively suppresses type 2 inflammation, children who continued to experience asthma attacks had disease involving other immune pathways not blocked by the therapy.

(2/8): Led by BRI’s Matthew C. Altman, MD, MPhil, and Daniel J. Jackson of @uwmadison.bsky.social, researchers from the CAUSE Network analyzed data from the MUPPITS-2 clinical trial to learn why some children still have asthma attacks despite treatment with mepolizumab.

Image of BRI’s Matthew C. Altman, MD, MPhil; headline reads: “Asthma Exacerbations in Children Caused by Multiple Molecular Pathways”

(1/8): New findings published this week in @jama.com Pediatrics are reshaping how we understand severe childhood asthma — especially in urban, low-income communities. 🧵

(5/7) This research not only explains why some children don’t fully respond to mepolizumab — it also identifies new, targetable disease pathways that could shape more personalized treatments.

(4/7) “These results tell us that asthma in urban children isn’t a disease driven by a single pathway,” says Dr. Altman. “Even when we suppress one part of the immune system, others can take over and continue to drive asthma attacks.”

(3/7): The research team found that while mepolizumab effectively suppresses type 2 inflammation, children who continued to experience asthma attacks had disease involving other immune pathways not blocked by the therapy.

(2/7) Led by BRI’s Matthew C. Altman, MD, MPhil, and Daniel J. Jackson of @uwmadison.bsky.social‬, researchers from the CAUSE Network analyzed data from the MUPPITS-2 clinical trial to learn why some children still have asthma attacks despite treatment with mepolizumab.

The Sound Life Project: New Finding Identifies Four Categories of Healthy Immune Systems In an article published today in Science Translational Medicine, a research team led by BRI’s Megan Smithmyer, PhD, Alex Hu, PhD, Jane Buckner, MD, and Cate Speake, PhD, details new findings from the Sound Life Project (SLP). The SLP is an ongoing study led by BRI in collaboration with the Allen Institute focused on investigating the variability that exists among the immune systems of healthy individuals. BRI investigators measured 174 different types of immune cells that circulate in the blood. They determined that 81 of these immune cell types did not change over time within an individual. When the research team compared the frequencies of the 81 immune cell types across the group of 100 healthy study participants, they found that study participants could be divided into four distinct groups, called immunotypes, based on the types of cells in their immune systems. The results from the SLP continue to highlight the importance of understanding the healthy immune system in order to predict, prevent, reverse and cure immune system diseases. “BRI will continue to investigate this rich dataset. There is a lot more data to explore and interesting questions to ask about the healthy immune system that the Sound Life Project can help answer,” says Dr. Buckner. “We are excited for what’s to come as we further outline what defines a healthy immune system.” Read the full press release: https://bit.ly/4jDrIym

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