An international collaboration of scientists evaluated literature concerning the mechanism of action of epratuzumab, a monoclonal antibody currently in two Phase 3 clinical trials for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and proposed a reason for the efficacy of treatment. The antibody targets CD22 receptors on B-cells, depleting the population through signaling…
According to a recent press release from UCB, a global biopharma company, results from its Phase 3 clinical trials in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) revealed that Epratuzumab did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint. A total of 786 and 788 patients with SLE took part…
Professionally, Chloe Barlow is an attorney at law, but after receiving a diagnosis of lupus, she rekindled her childhood love for writing as a means to cope with her illness. “I first started having symptoms when I was 12, but they were always very mysterious,” said Chloe in the…
In a new study entitled “Genome-Wide Assessment of Differential DNA Methylation Associated with Autoantibody Production in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” researchers identified that epigenetic modifications in the DNA, specifically DNA methylation, is associated with autoantibody production in systemic lupus erythematosus. The study was published in the open-access journal…
In a recent study presented during the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, patients suffering from moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who have been treated with Benlysta have a low incidence of organ damage. SLE, commonly referred to as lupus, is a severe autoimmune disease in which…
The second most common experience of patients with newly onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was found to be mood disorders, with roughly one third of the occurrences related to the disease. The finding came from a recent study led by John Hanly and presented during the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology…
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Emory University have recently released results from a study that could advance treatment options for autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus (Lupus) or rheumatoid arthritis, by better defining the cells that produce auto-reactive antibodies. The study, entitled, “Long-Lived Plasma Cells…
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) recently announced that Chinese investigators are going to test a new drug agent for treating lupus in upcoming clinical trials. The compound called SM934, is a water-soluble artemisinin derivative that has already been approved by the China Food and Drug Administration. According to the CAS, over the last…
A recent study published in the journal Cell Transplantation revealed encouraging data on animal models for stem cell transplantation as a therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study was led by researchers at the Hanyang University in Korea and is entitled “Infusion of human bone…
Results from a clinical trial conducted by a team at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset demonstrate that vitamin D supplementation does not diminish the interferon (IFN) signature of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The authors attribute the lack of a response to the short time frame of treatment…