La Jolla Institute for Immunology

LJI is dedicated to understanding the intricacies and power of the immune system so that we may apply that knowledge to promote human health and prevent a wide range of diseases. Since its founding in 1988 as an independent, nonprofit research organization, the Institute has made numerous advances leading toward its goal: life without disease.

What sets LJI apart can be described in a single word:

Focus.

The immune system itself is the centerpiece of research at the Institute. Every aspect of the immune system is under investigation. Advances in one research area are quickly applied to propelling research in another.

Carefully selected for their ability, inventiveness, and dedication, approximately 20 immunology research global leaders—in collaboration with about 400 staff—work together at LJI to deliver on the promise of Life Without Disease. Researchers are energized by a collaborative environment that maximizes results by minimizing bureaucracy.

The Institute also prepares—and inspires—the next generation of researchers. The post-doctoral fellowship program teams young Ph.D.s with veteran investigators; the summer internship program offers early career-students hands-on experience with the rewards of transforming someday into today.

• LJI is on the forefront of generating personalized cancer vaccines.
LJI has developed a personalized cancer vaccine based on an improved method of identifying mutated cancer proteins that can stimulate a protective anti-cancer response. In close collaboration with the UC San Diego Moores Cancer, a clinical trial depending on this method has received FDA approval and a second trial using the method, in collaboration with a biotech company will follow soon.

• LJI is breaking new ground in the treatment of many inflammatory diseases.
Many LJI labs are working together and pioneering in investigations of a family of molecules called TNF proteins, some of which were discovered here. Pioneering research on the function of these proteins led to the development of biologic drugs in clinical trials for the treatment of asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

• LJI research is making new vaccines possible.
LJI is on the front lines of developing vaccines for infectious diseases that have proven to be resistant to vaccination such as HIV, dengue, Zika and others. LJI scientists discovered a crucial cell type responsible for promoting lifelong protection and the molecular mechanism or switch required for initiating it.

• LJI is a global technology leader in the big data revolution that will transform human health.
LJI has developed one-of-a-kind tools for the world that analyze the human immune response to infectious organisms, allergy-causing substances and other things that stimulate the immune system. It contains information on nearly half a million molecules with information from 20,000 papers and the software has been licensed by 36 companies.

• LJI found a new target for attacking Parkinson’s disease.
The cause of the neurodegenerative disease known as Parkinson’s is unknown, but LJI researchers found the first direct evidence that Parkinson’s may be an autoimmune disorder mediated by T cells.

• LJI is pioneering cutting-edge methods for unraveling the causes of Type 1 Diabetes.
In ground breaking studies from the network of pancreatic organ donors, they found evidence for possible chronic viral infections in the pancreas of type I diabetes patients, pinpointing a potential trigger of the disease.

• LJI is uncovering how diet influences the immune system.
LJI scientists discovered that a vitamin A metabolite provides an additional signal that helps determine the balance between pro-inflammatory immunity.

• LJI is developing the first vaccine to prevent heart disease.
LJI researchers are developing a heart vaccine that decreased arterial plaques in models, even when put on a high fat diet.

• LJI researchers are global influencers.
LJI is one of the top 5 immunology research organizations world-wide, comparing favorably to Harvard, Yale, Stanford and others (Thomson-Reuters). Papers with the LJI byline are cited thousands of times each by scientists around the world.