CHLA’s Dr. Jesse Levine Explores Pediatric Neuroinflammatory Diseases

Jesse M. Levine, MD, PhD, is exploring immune mechanisms behind rare pediatric neuroinflammatory diseases as an attending physician and investigator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, News-Medical reported.

Key Clinical Takeaways:

• Dr. Levine’s research focuses on the underlying molecular mechanisms of rare pediatric neuroinflammatory conditions.
• Current projects include a multi-omics pipeline evaluating immune dysregulation in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.
• Work centers on type 1 interferon signaling pathways identified in patients with monogenic causes of their disease.

Her life-changing experience in hospitals as a child is part of what led Jesse M. Levine, MD, PhD, to pursue a career in medical research. “I had a pacemaker implanted when I was two years old,” Dr. Levine says.

“As a kid, I thought it was so cool that someone had an interesting idea and they were able to invent a device that directly impacted my life. I always knew that I wanted to create something or innovate in a way that helped people,” she told News-Medical.

While in college, Dr. Levine became fascinated with the brain, neurology, and neuroscience. “And then throughout my medical training, I found myself drawn to the neuroimmunology patients,” she explains, News-Medical reported.

“These patients can have psychiatric, cognitive, motor, and sensory effects, but there’s still so much we don’t know about how to diagnose and treat these issues. As someone interested in solving mysteries, I was drawn in and I translated my interest in medical innovation to neuroimmunology,” Dr. Levine told News-Medical.

Having completed an away rotation at CHLA during her medical studies under the guidance of Jonathan D. Santoro, MD, she was motivated to come back to the institution, and today she serves as an attending physician and investigator within the Neurological Institute’s Neuroimmunology Program, News-Medical reported.

“I’m interested in the underlying molecular mechanisms of rare pediatric neuroinflammatory diseases,” Dr. Levine says. “I’m ultimately working towards the goal of more precise diagnostics and therapeutics for these conditions. To achieve that, we really need to have a solid understanding of fundamental immunology and how the immune system interacts with the nervous system in these conditions.”

Work currently underway by Dr. Levine seeks to create a multi-omics pipeline for assessing immune dysregulation pathways in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, an autoimmune illness targeting the optic nerves, spinal cord, and brain, News-Medical reported.

“We have identified a few patients with monogenic causes of their disease and the variants that these patients had implicated a particular immune signaling pathway called type 1 interferon, so I’m looking into that as a component of the pathogenesis of that disease,” she explains, News-Medical reported.

Her overarching objective for the future is to apply this newly created pipeline across various pediatric neuroinflammatory disorders to assist in directing therapeutic choices, News-Medical reported.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and scientific communication purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment plan.