Researchers at the Singapore Immunology Network at A*STAR have found that immune dendritic cells are crucial for the development of kidney disease in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study, “RNA sensing by conventional dendritic cells is central to the development of lupus nephritis,” was published in the journal…
Sometimes, looking backward is a good way to go forward. With this in mind, scientists discovered that a cancer drug approved decades ago, based on the immune molecule IL-2, may restore balance to the overactive immune systems of people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). IL-2, or Interleukin-2, is rarely used in cancer treatment today. But, the…
Anthera Pharmaceuticals recently announced that the last patient in the company’s Phase 3 clinical trial, evaluating blisibimod for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, has received the the final dose. The study will be completed and the data analyzed within the next two months, just in time for the upcoming American…
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute identified key mechanisms contributing to the generation of autoimmune B-cells that attack the body’s own tissues in diseases like systemic lupus eurythematosus. In a cluster of microRNA (miRNA) molecules, the research team found one factor with exaggerated presence that allows faulty cells to sneak…
Pregnancy in patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can be complicated by a range of factors affecting both the mother and the fetus, and women with the disease were often advised against becoming pregnant. A research review from Yokohama City University Medical Center researchers, however, shows that optimal monitoring and treatment can improve…
Researchers at have identified an RNA molecule, known as a long noncoding RNA, that is responsible for controlling innate immune processes by making sure inflammatory genes in macrophages are switched off until needed. The study, “A Long Noncoding RNA lincRNA-EPS Acts as a Transcriptional Brake to Restrain…
Non-Europeans more often carry genes increasing the likelihood of developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), explaining the higher disease rates observed in people outside of Europe, according to a report by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London.
Anthera Pharmaceuticals reported that the company’s Phase 3 clinical trial of blisibimod in patients with severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) began recently with researchers screening the study’s first patient. Called CHABLIS 7.5, the study is the second Phase 3 trial to explore the drug in lupus patients with and without lupus…
Scientists at Bristol-Myers Squibb have uncovered mechanisms explaining why African-Americans with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience more serious symptoms and become sick at earlier ages than American patients of European descent. The difference lies in B-cells according to the study “B cells from African American lupus patients exhibit…
San Francisco-based Thunderbolt — the first company established by Vitesse Biologics — has attained the rights to Astellas Pharma’s BAFF/APRIL dual antagonist program — a therapeutic solution developed for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well as a range of B-cell disorders, according to a recent announcement from Baxalta,…