Lupus News and Research

Latest Lupus News and Research

LFA launches new nationwide education series for people with lupus

The Lupus Foundation of America has launched a new nationwide education series, Lupus: Learn from the Experts, designed to provide people with lupus essential information about living with lupus from some of the world's leading lupus experts. The program is a series of teleconferences hosted by a lupus expert, and will cover a wide variety of topics important to people with lupus, including disability, kidney involvement, and clinical trials.

29 Jan 2011

XDx establishes $12.5 million multi-draw term loan facility with GE Capital

XDx, a San Francisco-based molecular diagnostics company focused on non-invasive gene expression-based tests for the monitoring of organ transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases, announced today that it has established a $12.5 million senior secured multi-draw term loan facility with GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services.

28 Jan 2011

Prototype drug halts GVHD in mouse models of bone marrow transplantation

A prototype drug already shown to hold promise for treating autoimmune disorders like lupus, arthritis and psoriasis halts established graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in mouse models of bone marrow transplantation, research at the University of Michigan and the University of Florida shows.

28 Jan 2011

Interferon-alpha associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis in patients with SLE

Researchers in China have demonstrated interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). For the first time, IFN-α priming was shown to promote lipid uptake and foam cell formation—a crucial step in plaque build-up. This activation of the IFN signaling pathway may be linked to the premature atherosclerosis risk in SLE.

27 Jan 2011

Research finds link between increased hygiene and higher rates of certain diseases in women

Little girls growing up in western society are expected to be neat and tidy - "all ribbon and curls" - and one researcher who studies science and gender differences thinks that emphasis may contribute to higher rates of certain diseases in adult women.

27 Jan 2011

SuppreMol completes successful pre-IND meeting with U.S. FDA

SuppreMol GmbH, a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, today announced that it has successfully completed a pre-Investigational New Drug Application (pre-IND) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead compound SM101, which is being developed for the treatment of Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).

24 Jan 2011

SQI fourth quarter net loss increases to $2,621,000

SQI Diagnostics Inc., a medical systems automation company focused on evolving laboratory-based autoimmune biomarker testing, today announced its financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and year ended September 30, 2010.

21 Jan 2011

National Jewish Health issued method patent for desensitizing B cells

National Jewish Health has been issued a US patent claiming a method to desensitize B cells by inactivating antigen receptors on their surfaces. The method, discovered by John Cambier, PhD, Chairman of the Integrated Department of Immunology at National Jewish Health, holds promise for treatment of B-cell mediated diseases, such as lymphoma and leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and rejection of organ transplants.

19 Jan 2011

'Master switch' protein in white blood cells linked to inflammation

Scientists have identified a protein that acts as a "master switch" in certain white blood cells, determining whether they promote or inhibit inflammation. The study, published in the journal Nature Immunology, could help researchers look for new treatments for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis that involve excessive inflammation.

18 Jan 2011

Inflammation “master switch” found: Study

According to the latest medical discovery a protein that acts as a “master switch” has been found to determine whether certain white blood cells will boost or dampen inflammation. This may open new avenues in rheumatoid arthritis research. Rheumatoid arthritis or RA is an inflammatory disease that causes severe progressive crippling of the joints.

17 Jan 2011

First-ever global definition of lupus flare

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) spearheaded a four-year worldwide initiative with more than 120 lupus experts from 11 countries, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and federal agencies, which resulted in the first-ever global definition of a lupus flare. The development of Lupus Foundation of America Flare Definition (LFA-Flare) helps to overcome long-standing barriers to the development of new, safe, and more tolerable treatments for lupus.

11 Jan 2011

Potential single vaccine for permanent immunity to all influenza

The search for a universal flu vaccine has received a boost from a surprising source: the 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu strain.

10 Jan 2011

New, paid prescriptions for Questcor's Acthar increase 66%

Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported a strong finish to 2010. The Company estimates that 353 new, paid Acthar prescriptions for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) were filled and shipped during the quarter, up 66% from the year ago period and up 9% from the third quarter of 2010.

10 Jan 2011

Anaphylatoxin C5a may be responsible for devastating effects of atherosclerosis

For decades, doctors have looked at fitness levels, weight, and overall health risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Now, they may soon add a new risk factor to the list: activation of the complement system. The complement system is usually implicated in immune responses, but now there's a role for it in cardiovascular disease.

5 Jan 2011

New research finds pattern for detecting 'false-positive' ANA results

The presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) indicates the possibility of autoimmunity and the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) assay on HEp-2 cells is the standard blood test (ANA-HEp-2) used to detect ANA. However, studies have shown that a "false-positive" ANA test occurs in up to 13% of healthy individuals. In such cases the test detects the presence of autoantibodies that apparently are not associated with autoimmunity.

4 Jan 2011

Vitamin D deficiency could be linked to development of certain autoimmune lung diseases

A new study shows that vitamin D deficiency could be linked to the development and severity of certain autoimmune lung diseases.

4 Jan 2011

New ATS guidelines for treating fungal infection in adult pulmonary and critical care patients

The American Thoracic Society has released a new official clinical policy statement on the treatment of fungal infections in adult pulmonary and critical care patients.

4 Jan 2011

Researchers to identify gene variants that cause ischemic stroke

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine are coordinating an international team of scientists working to identify genes or gene variants that may make a person more likely to have a particular type of stroke called an ischemic stroke.

30 Dec 2010

Centocor Ortho Biotech files REMICADE sBLA for ulcerative colitis in pediatric patients

Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. announced today that it has filed a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting the approval of REMICADE® (infliximab) for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in pediatric patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy.

29 Dec 2010

Merck announces FDA approval for GARDASIL against HPV-related anal cancer

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for the prevention of anal cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 and for the prevention of anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) grades 1, 2 and 3 (anal dysplasias and precancerous lesions) caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18, in males and females 9 through 26 years of age.

23 Dec 2010