Lupus News and Research

Latest Lupus News and Research

UCSF study on T-cell behavior sheds light on how vaccines work

The immune system's T cells, while coordinating responses to diseases and vaccines, act like honey bees sharing information about the best honey sources, according to a new study by scientists at UC San Francisco.

14 Mar 2013

CALHM1 protein controls sense of taste, finds study

In collaboration with other research institutions, a Feinstein Institute for Medical Research investigator discovered a new protein that controls the sense of taste. The findings are published in the March issue of Nature.

7 Mar 2013

Gene cluster implicated in Behçet's disease

Scientists may have uncovered an underlying genetic susceptibility for Behçet's disease in East Asian patients.

5 Mar 2013

Idera announces new data from IMO-3100 and IMO-8400 preclinical study on psoriasis

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of new data showing that its selective Toll-like receptor antagonists, IMO-3100 and IMO-8400, normalized the gene expression of important cytokines in a preclinical study of skin inflammation that is commonly used as a model of psoriasis.

4 Mar 2013

Nanogel-based delivery of mycophenolic acid ameliorates systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. Current treatments are focused on suppression of the immune system, but these therapies can leave patients vulnerable to infection.

2 Mar 2013

Resolve Therapeutics, Takeda partner to develop compounds for treatment of lupus

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Resolve Therapeutics, LLC today jointly announced that they have entered into a partnership to develop compounds for the treatment of lupus (also known as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or SLE) and other autoimmune diseases.

27 Feb 2013

UCB seeks FDA and EMA marketing authorization for Cimzia to treat active psoriatic arthritis

UCB announced today two new regulatory filings with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to extend the marketing authorization for Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and for adult patients with active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

20 Feb 2013

Antibody test ‘inappropriate’ without connective tissue symptoms

The positive antinuclear antibody test is often used inappropriately in patients without indications of connective tissue disease, real-world research suggests.

18 Feb 2013

Two studies discover new enzyme that acts as a sensor of innate immunity

Two studies by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center could lead to new treatments for lupus and other autoimmune diseases and strengthen current therapies for viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections.

16 Feb 2013

AARDA to mark National Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month with new initiatives

March is National Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month 2013. To mark the annual event, the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association Inc. (AARDA) is encouraging the national and local media around the country to report stories on autoimmune diseases (AD) and autoimmunity as a category of disease.

13 Feb 2013

Infusions of regulatory T cells turn off autoimmune attack on joints

Farber Cancer Institute scientists have demonstrated a new strategy for treating autoimmune disease that successfully blocked the development of rheumatoid arthritis in a mouse model. They say it holds promise for improved treatment of arthritis and other autoimmune disorders in people.

10 Feb 2013

Scientists identify specific cellular events that appear key to lupus

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified specific cellular events that appear key to lupus, a debilitating autoimmune disease that afflicts tens of millions of people worldwide. The findings suggest that blocking this pathway in lupus-triggering cells could be a potent weapon against the disease.

5 Feb 2013

Mcl-1 gene essential for survival of antibody-producing cells

Scientists have identified the gene essential for survival of antibody-producing cells, a finding that could lead to better treatments for diseases where these cells are out of control, such as myeloma and chronic immune disorders.

3 Feb 2013

Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids promotes effective immune system response

Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids promotes effective immune system response and has ameliorating effects on chronic inflammation (a condition caused by an imbalanced immune system that can lead to multiple serious illnesses over time), according to the most recent study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information on the effects of omega-3.

31 Jan 2013

Feinstein Institute, Merck Serono to develop antibodies for treatment of SLE

Merck Serono, a division of Merck, Darmstadt, Germany, and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, announced today that they will collaborate to develop antibodies for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

30 Jan 2013

Immunosuppressive drugs do not increase risk of cancer in lupus patients

People who take immunosuppressive drugs to treat lupus do not necessarily increase their cancer risk according to new research led by scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC).

28 Jan 2013

IRHOM2-targeted drugs can effectively treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a potential new target for drugs to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a protein known as IRHOM2. The finding could provide an effective and potentially less toxic alternative therapy to tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers (TNF-blockers), the mainstay of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, and could help patients who do not respond to this treatment. Efforts to develop drugs that hone in on this new target are underway.

28 Jan 2013

New hope for lupus patients

A clinical trial with 149 patients suffering from the very disabling autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus, has shown the effectiveness of a synthetic peptide developed by a team of researchers led by CNRS biologist Slyviane Muller at the Institut de Biologie Moleculaire (IBMC) in Strasbourg, France.

25 Jan 2013

BH3-mimetics might be new option for treatment of autoimmune conditions

Melbourne researchers have discovered that the death of immune system cells is an important safeguard against the development of diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which occur when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues.

23 Jan 2013

RSAS honors Feinstein Institute scientist with Crafoord Prize for genetic research on arthritis

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced today that Peter K. Gregersen , MD, a scientist at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, will receive the prestigious Crafoord Prize for his genetic research in the area rheumatoid arthritis.

18 Jan 2013