The Colton Center for Autoimmunity, University of Pennsylvania

Distinct components of mRNA vaccines cooperate to instruct efficient germinal center responses This study dissects the individual contributions of the different components of mRNA vaccines to immune responses. Nucleoside-modified mRNA promotes the production of type I interferons that act on de...

A team led by Michela Locci, PhD has detailed how the lipid nanoparticles that encapsulate mRNAs in vaccines—and the mRNA molecules themselves—play roles in the potency of the immune response, findings that should be useful for designing future vaccines. https://bit.ly/3MSLbkq

Don't miss this month's installment of the Colton Consortium Virtual Speaker Series, featuring Yaakov Levine, PhD, Vice President of Research at SetPoint Medical. Open to all members of the #autoimmunity and #immunology research community. Registration is required.

Colton Consortium Virtual Speaker Series. Multiome Profiling in Human Type 1 Diabetes featuring Golnaz Vahedi, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Jan. 20, 2026 (11am ET). Registration required [QR CODE].

Join the Colton Consortium Virtual Speaker Series on Jan. 20 (11am ET) ft. Golnaz Vahedi, PhD (@upenn.edu). Her recent work identifies a hidden subset of immune “attack” cells that emerge early in Type 1 diabetes—offering clues for blood-based detection and earlier intervention. bit.ly/VahediJan20

Early immune clues could help detect and prevent type 1 diabetes | Penn Today Researchers from Penn Medicine have uncovered new clues in pancreas lymph nodes and the spleen that may stop the disease before insulin is lost forever.

New Penn Medicine research reveals early immune clues that could help detect— and even prevent—T1D. Profiling ~1M immune cells, scientists found CD4 T cells that flip molecular “switches” driving the attack on insulin-producing cells, opening a window for early intervention. https://bit.ly/4oNAgVQ

Making the Impossible Possible: Precision Therapy for RVCL, a Rare Genetic Disease YouTube video by RVCL Research at Penn

Dr. Miner and his team at Penn study rare diseases. In this video, he explores RVCL, a TREX1-driven genetic disorder (mutations in this gene are also linked to lupus) that is often misdiagnosed as more common autoimmune conditions. Learn more: https://youtu.be/rO02_1g6a8E

Autoimmune Voices Threads of Hope: Episode 4 – The Nobel Prize YouTube video by Autoimmune Association

In the latest Autoimmune Association podcast, Dr. Nina Luning Prak (@upenn.edu) speaks with 2025 Nobel Laureates in Medicine, Dr. Mary Brunkow and Dr. Fred Ramsdell about the groundbreaking discovery of FOXP3 and Tregs and how this science is shaping the future of autoimmune disease therapies.

Colton Consortium Virtual Speaker Series. Immunoception: Brain Representation and Control of Peripheral Immune States. Featuring Asya Rolls, PhD. Dec. 16, 2025 (11:00 am ET). QR code. Registration required.

The Colton Consortium invites the #autoimmunity and #immunology communities to a virtual seminar with Asya Rolls, PhD (Tel Aviv University). Her research uncovers how the brain regulates #immunity—showing how mental states shape disease trajectories. https://bit.ly/RollsDec16

Congrats to Katalin Susztak, MD, PhD, on election to the National Academy of Medicine! A Colton-affiliated researcher, she’s transformed kidney disease research—mapping risk genes, revealing cellular energy defects, and advancing precision medicine for IgA nephropathy. https://bit.ly/49tSJ60

Using Existing Drugs in New Ways to Treat & Cure Diseases of Brain & Body | Dr. David Fajgenbaum Dr. David Fajgenbaum shares how he survived Castleman's disease using repurposed drugs and reveals how approved medications can treat diseases beyond their original use.

Penn physician–scientist and Colton-affiliated researcher David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc joins the Huberman Lab podcast to discuss how repurposed drugs—many already FDA-approved—can unlock new treatments for #autoimmunity, rare diseases, and beyond.

🎧 Listen: www.hubermanlab.com/episode/davi...

Colton Consortium Virtual Speaker Series. David Hafler, MD, FANA. “The Gut–Brain Axis in Homeostasis and Disease." Tues, Nov 18, 2025 (11:00 a.m. ET). Virtual. Registration required.

Join us Nov. 18 for the Colton Consortium Virtual Speaker Series! Hear from David Hafler, MD, FANA (@yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social) a leader in #neuroimmunology, on the gut–brain axis in homeostasis and disease. Registration required: bit.ly/HaflerNov18

Penn is expanding its research in immunology — a field just honored with a Nobel Prize E. John Wherry, director of Penn's Colton Center for Autoimmunity, spoke with the Inquirer about the future of immunology research at Penn and the new $376 million research facility.

E. John Wherry, PhD, reflected on a conversation with his friend—and new Nobel laureate—Fred Ramsdell, PhD, about the future of #autoimmunity research. Ramsdell’s advice to “stay focused on foundational research” is guiding the direction of Penn’s Colton Center for Autoimmunity. bit.ly/471uuKQ

Penn Medicine Opens $376M Immunology Center Boosting Research in Philadelphia New Penn Medicine center houses hundreds of researchers testing treatments for autoimmune conditions.

Last week, Dr. Wherry showed Good Morning Philadelphia around Penn Medicine's new collaborative research hub for #immunology, #immunehealth, and #autoimmunity, including the new home of the Penn Colton Center for Autoimmunity. Watch the interview: https://www.fox29.com/video/1707836

Colton Consortium Virtual Speaker Series. Dissection of Autoimmunity Through Outliers. Mark Anderson, MD, PhD. Sept. 16, 2025 (11AM ET). QR code to register.

Have you registered yet for next week's session (9/16, 11AM ET) of the #ColtonConsortium Virtual Speaker Series featuring Mark Anderson, MD, PhD (USCF + @ucsfdc.bsky.social)? Dr. Anderson will address "Dissection of #Autoimmunity Through Outliers." Registration required: bit.ly/AndersonSept16

We're thrilled to share space in Penn Medicine's new collaborative research hub for #immunology, #immunehealth, and #autoimmunity — working with remarkable labs and leaders to advance scientific breakthroughs that benefit patients' lives.

Penn-developed AI tools and datasets help tailor treatments for kidney patients | Penn Today Penn Medicine and Wharton researchers have partnered to create CellSpectra and SISKA, offering clues to better treatments for kidney disease and beyond.

Katalin Susztak, MD, PhD, and team developed #AI tools and datasets—like the SISKA atlas and CellSpectra—to map 70+ kidney cell types. This advances precision medicine with the potential to reveal new insights into immune-mediated kidney disease. bit.ly/4mSH0lk

Earlier this year, the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at @pennmedicine.bsky.social launched two new Centers of Excellence to advance autoimmune diagnostics and treatment—deepening its impact through the @coltonconsortium.bsky.social. Learn more about the missions of HIT-AI and CREATE: bit.ly/4kRTJCT

Congratulations to Sahily Reyes-Esteves, MD, PhD (@sahilyreyes.bsky.social), Assistant Professor of Neurology and Colton Center awardee, and our other Penn Medicine (@pennmedicine.bsky.social) colleagues on being selected for a McCabe Fund Award! 🏆

Genetic screening may have unlocked a path for treating the severe inflammation associated with many immune diseases by regulating one protein’s role in helping another protein control cell acidity, according to recent research published in Cell by the @minerlab.bsky.social. bit.ly/43Hw6HK

Big news out of @pennmedicine.bsky.social: @davidfajgenbaum.bsky.social, @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social, and colleagues have identified Oligocentric Castleman Disease (OligoCD)—the first new Castleman subtype in 45 years. This discovery has the potential to reshape diagnosis and care for thousands.

A large group of Penn Colton Center for Autoimmunity members pose in front of a statue of Benjamin Franklin inside the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA.

150+ experts came together at the 2025 Penn Colton Center for #Autoimmunity Symposium to discuss breakthroughs in #ImmuneHealth and spotlight Penn’s leadership, future headquarters, and innovations in autoimmunity research and #PrecisionMedicine.

Read more: www.coltonconsortium.org/blog/2025-pe...