Yale researchers, including members of the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale, have uncovered a novel lupus-associated autoantibody that can enhance immune responses against aggressive cancers like glioblastoma.
Yale researchers have uncovered a novel lupus-associated autoantibody that can enhance immune responses against aggressive cancers like glioblastoma. This autoantibody enters tumor cells and binds intracellular RNA, triggering the cGAS pathway and boosting tumor immunity. Published in Science Signaling (March 25, 2025), the study showed that combining this antibody with checkpoint inhibitors significantly improved anti-tumor efficacy in preclinical models
The research was generously funded in part by the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale, which supports innovative autoimmune-related projects. It was led by James Hansen, MD, radiation oncology chief of Yale's Gamma Knife Program, and a member of Yale Cancer Center and the Colton Center. This work exemplifies how cross-disciplinary support—from autoimmunity research to cancer immunotherapy—can yield impactful advances in treatment.
Read the full story from Yale School of Medicine.
.svg)
Global leaders in autoimmune research gathered for the 2025 Colton Consortium Symposium last month, sharing breakthroughs from foundational science to translational therapies and forging collaborations to improve patient lives worldwide.
To accelerate the development of next-generation diagnostics and therapies for autoimmune disease, the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn—working in partnership with the broader Colton Consortium—has launched two new Centers of Excellence.
The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale has awarded seven faculty-led projects a total of $750K to fund research on autoimmune and allergic diseases, including celiac disease, diabetes, and inflammatory skin diseases.