Biomedical Research Institute Of Southern California

VIRAL IMMUNOLOGY: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH INTO THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH THE IMMUNE SYSTEM PROTECTS US AGAINST VIRAL INFECTIONS. THIS RESEARCHWILL HELP US TO DEVELOP BETTER VACCINES AND THERAPEUTIC AGENTS FOR VIRAL INFECTIONS. IN ADDITION, IT WILL ASSIST IN THE DESIGN OF BETTERIMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUGS TO PREVENT TRANSPLANT REJECTION ANDAUTOIMMUNITY, WITHOUT COMPROMISING IMMUNITY TO VIRAL INFECTIONS. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES PRE-CLINICAL RESEARCH ON A NOVEL UNIVERSAL INFLUENZA VACCINE, FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. INFLUENZA CAUSES AN AVERAGE OF 36,000 DEATHS AND 200,000 HOSPITALIZATIONS PER YEAR IN THE U.S., WHILE GLOBAL PANDEMICS HAVE PREVIOUSLY KILLED OVER 50 MILLION PEOPLE. WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT, UNLIKE CURRENT VACCINES, THIS NOVEL VACCINE PROVIDES EFFECTIVE PROTECTION AGAINST MULTIPLE DIFFERENT STRAINS OF INFLUENZA. OUR GOALS ARE TO EVALUATE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS, TO DETERMINE THE MECHANISM BY WHICH THE VACCINE PROTECTS AGAINST MULTIPLE INFLUENZA STRAINS, AND TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE VACCINE PREVENTS EXARCEBATED SECONDARY BACTERIAL INFECTIONS THAT OFTEN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE MORTALITY. WE ARE ALSO WE ARE ALSO TESTING THE EFFECTS OF NOVEL ADJUVANTS ON THE EFFICACY OF VACCINES TO VIRAL INFECTIONS. A FURTHER GOAL OF THESE STUDIES IS TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE EFFECTS OF SOME VACCINES ARE SHORT-LIVED AND TO DEVELOP METHODS TO EXTEND VACCINE-MEDIATED PROTECTION. DIABETES: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO IDENTIFY UNIQUE EVENTS AND MOLECULAR PATHWAYS THAT CAN TRIGGER THE AUTOREACTIVE T CELLS TO CAUSE DESTRUCTION OF THE PANCREATIC ISLETS IN TYPE 1 DIABETES. THIS RESEARCH MAY AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL INTERVENTIONS TO PREVENT THE ONSET OF TYPE I DIABETES OR TO REDUCE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PANCREATIC ISLET CELLS. IN ADDITION, WE HOPE TO ELUCIDATE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING VASCULAR AND NEUROLOGICAL PATHOLOGY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES.