The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) has honored scientists Eric Morand and Joyce Chang for notable contributions to lupus research. Morand, PhD, of Monash University received the Evelyn V. Hess Award, and Chang, MD, of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, was honored with the Mary Betty…
Excessive production of type I interferon (IFN-I) — a molecule that mediates immune and inflammatory responses — in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be caused by small fragments of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that are released upon damage, a study suggested. The study, “VDAC oligomers…
Oral treatment with cenerimod shows promising safety and efficacy in people with mild to moderate systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including reduced disease activity and lower levels of immune cells in the blood, according to data from a Phase 2 trial. The research, “First Use of Cenerimod, a Selective…
Adding anifrolumab to standard-of-care treatment significantly reduced disease activity, corticosteroid use, and severity of skin lesions in people with moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to data from a Phase 3 trial. The research, “Efficacy and Safety of Anifrolumab in Patients with Moderate to Severe Systemic Lupus…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the designation of breakthrough therapy to Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for the treatment of adult patients with lupus nephritis, a life-threatening kidney inflammation. The breakthrough designation is given to medications that…
Autoantibodies targeting certain regulatory RNAs — molecules that serve as the template for protein production — in the brains of lupus patients are unique to these people and involved in neuropsychiatric symptoms of the disease, a study reports. The study, “Neuronal BC RNA transport impairments caused by systemic lupus erythematosus autoantibodies,”…
An international panel of experts on lupus has defined key issues that need to be overcome — with disease variability being the biggest challenge — to improve the clinical outcomes of patients living with the disease, as part of the Addressing Lupus Pillars for Health Advancement (ALPHA) project.
Scientists have found a new set of biomarkers that may be used to predict the risk of heart disease in patients with juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE). The findings were discussed in an oral presentation titled, “Metabolomics in juvenile-onset SLE: identifying new biomarkers to predict cardiovascular risk,”…
Gazyva (obinutuzumab) in combination with standard-of-care agents significantly increases the percentage of patients with proliferative lupus nephritis achieving complete or partial renal response, top-line data from a Phase 2 trial show. Gazyva is a monoclonal antibody that has been designed to bind CD20,…
Platelet-bound C4d (PC4d), one of Exagen‘s patented biomarkers, may be used along with other available biomarkers to estimate the risk of thrombosis — the formation of blood clots — among people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a study shows. The study, “Platelet-bound C4d, low C3…