ISB News

Discussing Super Agers, Drs. Eric Topol and Lee Hood connected breakthroughs in genomics, AI, and lifestyle science to the pursuit of longer, healthier lives.

The pioneering work of Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell began with a mysterious mutant mouse known as “scurfy,” leading them to identify the FOXP3 gene and unlock how regulatory T cells prevent autoimmune disease — discoveries that now point to new treatments in cancer and autoimmunity.

In a Research Roundtable presentation and Q&A, ISB President Dr. Jim Heath shared how his team is using generative AI to unlock new understanding of human immunity, and how these discoveries could help predict disease severity, improve cancer therapies, and more.

Scientists at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) reveal how T cells “decide” their fate in fighting infections like COVID-19, paving the way for improved treatments for infections, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.

Infection, autoimmunity and cancer account for 40 percent of deaths worldwide. In a Cell Reports paper, ISB researchers detail how the human immune system works in common ways across diseases – findings that offer promising avenues for exploring multi-disease therapeutic strategies.

An ISB-led study showed nuanced pregnancy outcomes for pregnant individuals with autoimmune disease. The findings reinforce that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and provides important new avenues for further investigation.