A study of more than 27,000 people of different ethnic origins revealed 24 new genetic markers that predispose for systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common type of lupus. People with more of the predisposing genetic markers are more likely to develop the autoimmune disease, the study found. In collaboration…
Smokers who have certain variations of the estrogen-related ESR1 gene are at higher risk of developing lupus, a study suggests. The research, “Estrogen receptor alpha gene (ESR1) polymorphism and its interaction with smoking and drinking contribute to susceptibility of systemic lupus erythematosus,” was published in the journal…
Umbilical cord-derived stem cells failed to improve lupus patients’ impaired kidney function, according to a small clinical trial in China whose results contrasted with previous studies. The research, “A randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of allogeneic umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell for lupus nephritis,“ was published in Annals of…
ImmunArray and Kindstar Global, two companies focused on the development and marketing of diagnostic tools for acute and chronic immune and neurodegenerative diseases, have joined forces to launch the cost-effective SLE-Key Rule-Out Test for lupus in China. The blood test, which helps clinicians accurately rule out lupus during diagnosis, is expected to enter…
New research pinpoints a protein as a potential cause of lupus in females. The study shows that reduced expression of the protein Blimp-1 is associated with an increase in the protein CTSS (cathepsin S), which causes the immune system to attack female lupus patients’ healthy cells. Although further research is needed, these result…
The German Research Foundation has awarded a 13-million-euro grant to a consortium that is trying to develop treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus. The four-year grant, equivalent to $14.7 million, was to the TRR130 Transregional Collaborative Research Center, which is working on B-cells: Immunity and Autoimmunity. The…
Neovacs’ Phase 2b clinical trial of an interferon immunotherapy for lupus is going according to plan, the company announced after an independent review board declined to recommend modifications to the study. The trial is evaluating interferon (IFN)-alpha kinoid immunotherapy as a treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus. One hundred seventy-eight patients with moderate…
NKTR-358 bolsters T-cells’ ability to respond to immune inflammatory disorders such as lupus, according to a preclinical-trial study. Nektar Therapeutics said its therapy increased levels of a subset of T-cells known as regulatory T-cells and reduced inflammation. It also generated fewer side effects than immunosuppressant drugs. The company presented the findings at the…
Low levels of red blood cells (anemia) and lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, are the most frequent hematological disorders in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a new Turkish study. The study, “Detailed features of hematological involvement and medication-induced cytopenia in systemic lupus erythematosus…
A study has identified several predictors of poor pregnancy outcomes in women with lupus, including disease flares less than six months before conception and use of immunosuppressants. The research, “Predictors of poor obstetric outcome in women with systemic lupus erythematosus: a 10-year experience of a university hospital,”…