Strategic Collaborators
Celebrating the Transformative Discovery of Regulatory T Cells
A Fireside Chat With Jeff Bluestone & Fred Ramsdell
JP Morgan Week | 1/11/2026 | San Francisco
On Sunday evening of the JP Morgan Conference, Vie Ventures convened an intimate gathering of biotech executives, scientific leaders, investors, and disease-focused foundations to celebrate the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, recognizing the discovery of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the FOXP3 lineage program – foundational work that reshaped modern immunology and opened a new frontier in immune-tolerance–based therapeutics.
Event Highlights
- Fireside conversation with Jeff Bluestone, PhD, one of the defining leaders in modern immunology, and Nobel Laureate Fred Ramsdell, PhD, whose discovery of FOXP3 established the genetic foundation of regulatory T cells.
- A discussion that reframed immunity not as a simple on/off system, but as an actively regulated process: one with profound implications for autoimmune disease, transplantation, inflammation, tissue repair, and beyond.
- Insights into how Tregs function as a genetically encoded control layer of the immune system, and how this biology is now translating into therapeutic platforms.
- A candid exploration of ambition in medicine, including what it means to responsibly talk about cure in the context of immune tolerance.
The Setting
The evening was held in a small, highly engaged forum during JP Morgan Week, bringing together senior leaders across biotech, academia, philanthropy, and venture capital. Guests enjoyed wines from Annulus Cellars, including a 100-point-rated vintage, selected to reflect the spirit of craftsmanship and excellence that characterized both the science being honored and the community assembled. The atmosphere was one of deep respect – peers listening to peers –recognizing the long arc of work behind the Nobel Prize and the responsibility that comes with translating foundational discovery into durable patient benefit.
A Community Conversation
The discussion extended well beyond prepared remarks, with a thoughtful Q&A focused on:
- Translating immune tolerance into safe, durable therapies
- Scaling and engineering Treg-based approaches
- Leveraging shared biology across multiple diseases
- The role of patient families and foundations in accelerating progress
Vie Ventures’ Role
Vie Ventures was created to build a community-driven model at the intersection of immunology, biotechnology, and disease philanthropy. By bringing together biotech executives, scientific leaders, families affected by autoimmune disease, and disease-focused foundations, Vie aims to accelerate the development of therapies that can impact multiple indications and, ultimately, enable cures.
Jeff Bluestone and Fred Ramsdell both commented on the importance of this approach and highlighted the value of tackling common biological nodes across diseases and meaningfully engaging patient communities alongside scientific and industry leadership.