Inflammation

Scientists once thought of inflammation as the body’s defensive response to insult or injury. But research has shown that the inflammatory response is actually a fundamental biological process—but one that can go badly awry.

This new understanding of inflammation has uncovered its role in a wide array of diseases—including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer—where an imbalance in the body’s inflammatory response can lead to severe illness.

As a world leader in immunology, Yale is developing a new science of inflammation, transforming how we approach modern diseases and their link to inflammation. Developing this deeper understanding of inflammation will lead to transformative leaps in how we treat today’s most serious health threats and improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. Yale is at the forefront of this work.