Penn Colton Center Expands Impact with Two New Centers of Excellence in Autoimmune Research

The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn, in collaboration with the broader Colton Consortium, is launching two new Centers of Excellence to drive groundbreaking advancements in autoimmune diagnostics and therapeutics. Selected through a highly competitive review process, these new centers will accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into real-world treatments, leveraging Penn’s world-class expertise.

“These Centers exemplify our commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and rapid innovation,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, Director of the Colton Consortium. “By investing in bold ideas and empowering visionary teams, we are transforming the landscape of autoimmune disease research and treatment.”

High-Throughput Center for AutoImmune Therapeutic Discovery (HIT-AI)

Led by David C. Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, Associate Professor of Medicine; Sara Cherry, PhD, John W. Eckman Professor of Medical Science; and Jonathan J. Miner, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, HIT-AI aims to systematically identify and validate repurposed treatments for over 160 autoimmune diseases by integrating cutting-edge computational, experimental, and clinical approaches. Using knowledge graphs and machine learning, the team will generate predictive scores for all 4,000 FDA-approved drugs, then confirm high-potential matches through high-throughput screening in cellular models. Promising candidates will undergo rigorous testing in animal models, retrospective clinical studies, and where possible, clinical trials. Ultimately, HIT-AI aims to drive the identification of multiple new therapeutic options, faster clinical implementation, and a scalable model for drug repurposing in autoimmunity.

“Autoimmunity represents one of the most promising frontiers for drug repurposing. Through this new collaboration, we have the opportunity to rapidly identify new therapeutic options—sometimes in just a matter of months—and, with continued progress, bring them into clinical use within a few short years,” said Dr. Fajgenbaum.

“This is an exciting partnership because we each bring a different lens to the work. Sara Cherry is pioneering innovative screening approaches in the lab; Jon Miner contributes critical clinical expertise; and my team is focused on computational discovery. By combining these complementary strengths, we’re creating a fully integrated pipeline for therapeutic discovery. The Colton Center offers a uniquely collaborative environment that makes this possible—bringing together the people, tools, and infrastructure to accelerate progress from bench to bedside.”

Colton Center for RNA Exploration in Autoimmune Therapeutics (CREATE)

CREATE, led by Amit Bar-Or, MD, FRCP, FAAN, FANA, Melissa and Paul Anderson President's Distinguished Professor; Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine; Ali Naji, MD, PhD, Jonathan E. Rhoads Professor of Surgical Science II; and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, CREATE will leverage Penn’s expertise in mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology to pioneer next-generation cell therapies for complex autoimmune diseases. The Center will develop targeted, non-inflammatory RNA-based constructs—manufactured under GMP conditions—to precisely modulate or eliminate disease-causing immune cells. By seamlessly integrating discovery science, preclinical models, and early-phase clinical trials, CREATE will accelerate the path from innovation to patient-ready therapies.

Complementing the work of the existing Colton Center of Excellence in Cell Therapy for Autoimmunity (CECTA), CREATE aims to advance multiple RNA-LNP-based therapies toward commercial development, offering breakthrough, potentially curative treatments for conditions such as type 1 diabetes, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

With these new centers, the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn and the Colton Consortium are setting the stage for transformative breakthroughs in autoimmune research.By fostering collaboration among leading scientists and driving rapid innovation, these initiatives bring life-changing therapies one step closer to patients.

For more information or to explore collaboration opportunities, please contact Leonardo Guercio, PhD, Director of Strategy and Business Development, Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn.

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