The mission of the Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Center at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology is to accelerate the path to find a safe prevention and cure for type 1 diabetes. To achieve this, the Center strives to combine the in-house multidisciplinary expertise in immunology and development of immunotherapies with cutting edge approaches in beta cell regeneration and replacement and local clinical centers. Therefore, close ties with the Brehm Coalition, the Pediatric Diabetes Research Center (PDRC) of San Diego, and the Sanford Foundation have been established — these collaborations are of essence to achieve the goals of the center.
BREAKTHROUGHS
A Cure for Type 1 DiabetesMatthias von Herrath, M.D., is edging closer to a goal - a cure for type 1 diabetes. Von Herrath and his fellow researchers' development of a combination therapy is showing significant promise in type 1 diabetes when caught in the early stages. Work on this promising research continues, with clinical testing currently under way on each of the combination therapy components individually. If required government approvals are received, human clinical trials of the combination therapy are planned.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Day by day, Center Director Matthias von Herrath, M.D., and his lab are edging closer
to a goal that has eluded the scientific community for nearly a
century. The goal-a cure for type 1 diabetes- took a major step in
2006, with von Herrath's and La Jolla Institute researcher Damien Bresson, Ph.D.'s
development of a combination therapy that is showing significant
promise against type 1 diabetes, when caught in the early stages. While
exciting, it is not the only diabetes approach that interests von
Herrath. His lab is a virtual whirlwind of diabetes research activity,
with at least eight different projects under way that explore the
disease from different angles.
"The mission of our Center is based on two important realizations," said Dr. von Herrath. "The first is that it will be impossible to cure this disease without correcting the misdirected immune system that attacks the islets. The second realization is that tackling this disease will necessitate the cooperation of many, not only scientists from diverse disciplines such as the La Jolla Institute, but in particular, the cooperation between basic researchers and clinicians."
FINDING CURES FASTER
The unique environment in San Diego is the ideal location for formal collaborative partnerships and unification of basic, translational, and clinical research. The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has taken the lead in developing the basic research component of the Type 1 Diabetes Center in order to optimally translate novel research from bench to bedside. The Center for Type 1 Diabetes is the first immunologically-focused diabetes center in Southern California focused on integrating multidisciplinary research in conjunction with excellence centers of clinical care into a focused center dedicated to fighting this disease and helping those who suffer from it, and ultimately, all who are touched by diabetes.
La Jolla Institute provides world-class immunological expertise in a multitude of autoimmune and viral diseases as well as cancer and essential state of the art core facilities such as our novel 2-photon imaging approach that has been used to successfully track live destruction of beta cells.
