Alba Grifoni

AI Helps Accelerate Efforts Towards a Universal Vaccine Researchers have developed a research pipeline utilizing bioinformatics and artificial intelligence to fuel the development of “universal vaccines.” These vaccines would address broad viral families a...

An interesting look at how LJI scientists are harnessing #AI tools to improve vaccine development: bit.ly/4lqvbBn

This research, led by LJI Research Assistant Professor Alba Grifoni, Ph.D. (@albagrifoni.bsky.social), offers a new pipeline for addressing emerging viruses with pandemic potential.

Conserved T-Cell Targets May Boost Universal Coronavirus Vaccine Development A new vaccine design pipeline could protect against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and pinpoint conserved T-cell epitopes across respiratory viruses.

LJI scientists recently made a big advance in the quest for a "universal" coronavirus vaccine! 🦠

Learn how a deep dive into T cell epitopes led to this new vaccine research pipeline: bit.ly/47ajwTV @cellpress.bsky.social #Viruses #ImmuneSystem #Tcells #SanDiego #health #medicine #science #STEM

LJI scientists develop new approach to fighting many viruses at once New vaccine design pipeline could protect against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and more

Dr. Alba Grifoni (@albagrifoni.bsky.social) and her team share new research that could help us fight many viruses at once—and stop emerging diseases in their tracks! bit.ly/45EYs6C

#virology #immunology #Tcells #health #medicine #STEM #SanDiego

Highly conserved Betacoronavirus sequences are broadly recognized by human T cells The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for vaccine strategies capable of addressing emerging viral threats. Betacoronaviruses, including …

Just out on @cp-cell.bsky.social! Focusing on Conserved T-cell Epitope Regions (CTERs) increases the ability of T cells to recognize Coronaviruses of pandemic concern. This strategy is broadly applicable to other viral families @tertuapn.bsky.social @lji.org
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

T cells take aim at Chikungunya virus As Chikungunya spreads into new regions, LJI scientists share a first look at how human T cells target the virus. Their findings may shed light on how viruses can trigger chronic disease.

A new LJI study offers the first-ever map of which parts of #Chikungunya virus trigger the strongest response from the body’s T cells bit.ly/45NmDjQ

The study also offers clues for to why infection can trigger chronic, severe joint pain.

#ChronicDisease #Virology #Health #Medicine

The hidden science of allergy shots LJI scientists study cockroach allergies to discover how allergy immunotherapies really work

Each year, around 2.6M Americans receive #allergy immunotherapies, also called “allergy shots.”

LJI scientists are investigating how these therapies target the very immune cells that drive dangerous allergic reactions.
bit.ly/3Uq3Hkp

@settelab.bsky.social #AllergyShots #Health #Medicine #SanDiego

Vaccination with an mRNA-encoded membrane-bound HIV envelope trimer induces neutralizing antibodies in animal models An HIV envelope trimer mRNA vaccine enables membrane-bound expression and produces a functional immunogen in preclinical mammalian models.

After 30+ years of HIV vaccine clinical trials, this is the first time that neutralizing antibodies against an HIV clinical isolate has been generated in vaccinated people.

* "Tier 2" neutralizing antibodies, induced consistently.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

I'm so excited about it all! I love pox the hot weather aaand the good company. I am hitting the jackpot this time!:)

Art by @patriciapauchnick for LJI's Immune Matters Magazine #Immunology Alt text: An illustration of a hypothetical virus termed "Virus X." It is illustrated in shades of red, green and blue. It has a mix of surface proteins and a question mark in the center.

For our final #PathogenOfTheWeek post, we've imagined "Virus X." This pathogen represents a future threat to global health.

LJI scientists know that the next pandemic threat may come from a newly emerged or evolved pathogen—one we've never faced. 1/2 🧵 #GlobalHealth #immunology

Diverse priming outcomes under conditions of very rare precursor B cells B cells that give rise to neutralizing antibody responses can be extremely rare in the naive B cell repertoire. Madden et al. show that delivery strategy and adjuvant selection affect the recruitment ...

One of our obsessions in the Crotty lab is to better understand B-cell immunology in the context of vaccines. Rare B cells can have antibody specificities particularly important for protection against some diseases. In our most recent paper…
@cp-immunity.bsky.social
www.cell.com/immunity/ful...

Art by @patriciapauchnick #Immunology #Science #STEM #Biology #Health #Medicine #SanDiego #Microbiology #SciComm #SciArt #Virology #COVID #Coronavirus #COVIDVaccine #VaccineResearch #GlobalHealth Alt text: Illustration of SARS-CoV-2 with description. The virus is illustrated in shades of pink and yellow. Large "Spike" proteins stick out of its surface, and genetic material is packed into the center of the circle. This virus causes COVID-19. It is known for evolving rapidly into new “variants of concern”—such as the Omicron variant. Vaccines and therapies are effective for many people.

#PathogenOfTheWeek: SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is probably the most recognizable pathogen of our time.

LJI scientists have been at the forefront of #COVID19 vaccine research, and they've made critical discoveries. 1/2 🧵

#virology #InfectiousDisease #SARSCoV2 #pandemic

JCI Insight - Frequency of dengue virus–specific T cells is related to infection outcome in endemic settings insight.jci.org/articles/vie...

@settelab.bsky.social

Four lessons COVID taught us about the immune system In the midst of pandemic upheaval, researchers have gained fundamental insights about how the body fends off infections.

Great article from @nature.com on how the COVID-19 pandemic has advanced our understanding of the immune system — featuring important work led by LJI Prof. Alessandro Sette and colleagues: www.nature.com/articles/d41... #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #Vaccines #Tcells #Antibodies

A Roadmap Towards the Identification and Validation of Conserved T Cell Epitope Regions in Viral Pathogen Families with Pandemic Potential - PubMed The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the need for society, as a whole, to be prepared against potential pandemics caused by a variety of different viral families of concern. Here, we describe a roa...

How can we stop pathogens with #pandemic potential? LJI researchers share new "roadmap" for harnessing T cell cross-reactivity to combat viruses pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39819529/

@settelab.bsky.social @albagrifoni.bsky.social #Immunology #Virology #Tcells #ImmuneSystem

San Diego scientists say human cells offer some protection from bird flu As the so-called bird flu wreaks havoc on chicken and dairy farms, scientists warn a new human pandemic could be on the horizon. But researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology say our immune...

LJI Prof. Alessandro Sette on the role of T cells in combatting flu viruses:

“Our research in general has shown that T-cells play an important role not in preventing infection but in making the disease less severe,” Sette said.

www.kpbs.org/news/science... #Virology #InfectiousDisease #BirdFlu

Hello T cell enthusiasts! Ever tried to combine an AIM and ICS assay? If not, here is the protocol for you!

Thank you, I am here now too!