In 2012, the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) network released the SLICC-12, which is a method that can be used to classify systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A recent report published in Arthritis Research and Therapy by a group at Linköping University in Sweden described the…
A study published in the journal Pediatric Rheumatology highlighted the importance of recognizing skin lesions in children with juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. The study is entitled “Mucocutaneous manifestations in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: a review of literature.” Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe autoimmune disease…
Researchers at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, recently discovered that two specific small proteins are associated with a poor outcome in lupus nephritis patients. The study was published in the journal BMC Immunology and is entitled “IL-17 and…
The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) recently released a white paper to inform and educate AARDA members and the patient community in general about biosimilar medicines (drugs similar but not identical to original biologic medicines) and their potential safety concerns. AARDA is a national nonprofit health…
The Strategic Pharma-Academic Research Consortium for Translational Medicine (SPARC) is going to provide more than $1.9 million to support studies on autoimmune diseases. The grant will be given to medical research universities located in the Midwest. The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute leads SPARC, and the investigations will focuse…
Researchers at the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Ohio State University developed the first chimeric mouse model to study Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. Notably, this new mouse model will also allow researchers to study the human characteristics of other autoimmune diseases,…
A clinical trial study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and led by Dr. David Wofsy at University of California, San Francisco and Dr. Betty Diamond at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, New York, assessed the efficacy…
Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the completion of its Phase 3 trial (CHABLIS-SC1), which evaluated the effect of blisibimod in patients suffering with systemic lupus erythematosus. The CHABLIS-SC1 study was evaluated by an independent statistician to assess the SRI-6 response 24 weeks after the beginning of the…
Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System recently published a study revealing that exposure to mercury through seafood is a key risk factor for the development of autoimmunity among women of reproductive age. The study entitled “Mercury Exposure and Antinuclear Antibodies among Females…
Taiwanese researchers recently published a study in the journal Rheumatology demonstrating that the drug hydroxychloroquine is effective in reducing the risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study is entitled “Hydroxychloroquine reduces risk of incident diabetes mellitus in lupus…