Help Diabetes and Immune Disease National Research Institute

Diabetes and Immune Disease National Research Institute

San Diego, California

Cause Description:
The Diabetes and Immune Disease National Research Institute (DIDNRI) features a group of renowned medical research scientists who share a common goal of developing the tools and understanding for the treatment of disease caused by dysfunction of the immune system. Autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system loses its normal ability to fight damaged cells and attack foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria, and proceeds to attack healthy cells and tissues of the body. These diseases often involve an attack on a specific tissue, such as diabetes (pancreas), arthritis (joints), multiple sclerosis (nerves), and the inflammatory bowel diseases. DIDNRI brings to bear a comprehensive research effort to understand the diverse aspects of these complex diseases, and to bring about further progress towards their treatment. Scientists at DIDNRI have expertise in diverse areas of biomedical science including immunology, genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry. Our scientists were among the first to describe self antigens responsible for the initiation of autoimmune diabetes, the critical role of a chemical messenger called IL-10 in the prevention of inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune diseases, and the mechanism of the progression of demyelinating disease such as multiple sclerosis. Utilizing a large network of cooperative projects and collaborating institutions around the world, the Institute openly shares and develops its findings with other clinical and basic research scientists. DIDNRI is an academic center of excellence affiliated with the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, and is located within our parent institution, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology. DIDNRI sponsors active collaborations with researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the University of California, Los Angeles, The Scripps Research Institute, and internationally with world-renowned institutions such as the Pasteur Institute, Paris, University College, London, and Tokyo University, Tokyo. DIDNRI recognizes the specific research challenges faced in research on diabetes and autoimmune diseases. Since 1997, DIDNRI has increased its focus on research in these areas through the recruitment of established experts in the field, and by a substantial increase in the funding of research on the causes and potential treatment of these diseases. In the future, DIDNRI plans to continue to increase research in diabetes and other autoimmune diseases to foster advancement in the basic study of the immune recognition of self, and the regulation of immune responses. As a current leader in basic immunology research, DIDNRI’s mission ultimately is to translate this basic knowledge to advance clinical strategies and approaches to the treatment of diabetes and other autoimmune diseases in order to effect cures for these chronic, debilitating diseases.

Type: Human/ Social Services
Listed on iGive since: March 2002
iGive members supporting: 29

Website: http//www.didnri.org

Raised through iGive: $21.95 across 1 check, November 2002 to November 2002.

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