In a significant milestone for the Allen Institute for Immunology, a division of the Allen Institute, researchers and staff will collaborate with private industry researchers to aid in the detailed, molecular understanding of disease, in service of developing new treatments and therapies to improve human health.

Specifically, Allen Institute scientists will work with researchers from Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) to investigate and profile disease state diversity and biomarkers for drug response involving atopic dermatitis (eczema) and rheumatoid arthritis using Allen Institute-developed unique molecular tools and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis techniques.

“Since the creation of the Institute in 2018, we have developed cutting-edge technologies that allow an unprecedented understanding of the human immune system in both health and disease,” said Peter Skene, Ph.D., Director of High Resolution Translational Immunology at the Allen Institute for Immunology.

By partnering with Lilly, we will further our translational mission of impact for patients.

Peter Skene, Ph.D., Director of High Resolution Translational Immunology at the Allen Institute for Immunology

This first industry partnership represents the culmination of the last four years of work and research by the Allen Institute for Immunology. The important collaboration points to the future trajectory of the Institute’s ongoing efforts to better understand the contours of the human immune system in both health and disease: industry collaborations aimed at translating foundational insight and cutting-edge analysis tools into new treatments and therapies for disease.

It underscores the importance of foundational, basic science in advancing medicine for society and highlights the potential of the Institute’s research pipelines, tools, and resources for others in the field.