The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is partnering with Lupus Canada to fund the Lupus Canada Catalyst Award that supports research projects with potential to advance the field and improve the lives of people living with lupus. The award will be given to one researcher (a…
A newly identified genetic signature may provide clues into the mechanisms underlying systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and open new potential avenues to personalized treatments. The research, “Integrated, multi-cohort analysis reveals unified signature of systemic lupus erythematosus,” was published in the journal JCI Insight. Gene expression…
Upper limb exercise lowers pain and improves hand function, daily activity performance, and quality of life in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a pilot clinical trial. The trial’s results, “The impact of upper limb exercise on function, daily activities and quality of life in…
DNA vaccination with heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) eased inflammation, boosted immune regulation, delayed kidney disease and prolonged life in a mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a study found. While vaccination with HSPs — stress-induced proteins involved in protein regulation and immune response — has…
Pregnancy is not associated with increased chronic damage in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), regardless of when they’re diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, according to a Japanese study. While these findings may help alleviate fears about childbearing for these women, an SLE diagnosis does put them at…
Hardening of the kidney arteries, a condition called renal arteriosclerosis, is detected two decades earlier in people with lupus nephritis compared with healthy individuals, a study shows. The study, “High Burden of Premature Arteriosclerosis on Renal Biopsies in Incident Lupus Nephritis,” was published in the journal…
AMPEL BioSolutions is seeking $12.5 million in funding to market LuGene, a personalized blood test that uses genetic information from a patient to predict treatment response and lupus flares. The company has initiated a Series A round of financing, which refers to the first significant step…
Two comprehensive tools can reliably measure changes in disease activity in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a new study suggests. The findings support the use of these instruments — the SELENA SLEDAI Physician’s Global Assessment, known as the SSPGA, and the Lupus Foundation of America-Rapid Evaluation of Activity…
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…
BioMed X and Merck are establishing a combined research group that will focus on the role of the gut epithelial barrier in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and multiple sclerosis. This new group will extend the companies’ continuing partnership to…