The cytokine interleukin 17A (IL-17A), while playing a role in inflammation, may also serve a protective purpose in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, new research shows. The study, “IL-17A levels in systemic lupus erythematosus associated with inflammatory markers and lower rates of malignancy and heart damage: Evidence for…
New insights into immune cell processes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus may advance scientists’ understanding of how the immune system goes off track in the disease. Japanese researchers noted that a type of activated immune cell, called MAIT, could be an indicator of the level of disease activity. In…
A recent study has linked high-dose steroid use with an increased risk of developing serious infections during pregnancy in women with autoimmune diseases, including lupus. The study, “Risk of serious infections associated with use of immunosuppressive agents in pregnant women with autoimmune inflammatory conditions: cohort study,” was…
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) has unveiled its new National Resource Center on Lupus, a one-stop online resource for topics related to lupus. The content of the new resource center is based on the results from the LFA’s National Needs Assessment on Lupus, a survey conducted…
Canada’s Aurinia Pharmaceuticals will report positive results from its 48-week AURION clinical trial evaluating voclosporin for lupus nephritis (LN) treatment. The presentation will take place at the 12th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (LUPUS 2017) & the 7th Asian Congress on Autoimmunity (ACA 2017), to be held March 26-29 in Melbourne,…
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) has received the 2017 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award from Research!America for advancing research, education, support and advocacy programs for lupus. The Rogers Award series recognizes public or private organizations that advocate for medical or health research at…
Patients with new-onset lupus erythematosus (SLE) have high levels of autoantibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), an immune response co-inhibitor, new research from China shows. The study, “Elevated serum autoantibodies against co-inhibitory PD-1 facilitate T cell proliferation and correlate with disease activity in new-onset systemic…
Researchers from the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) have published a list of recommendations that women with lupus or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) can use to deal with health issues or do family planning. The article, “EULAR Recommendations For Women’s Health And The Management Of Family Planning, Assisted Reproduction, Pregnancy And…
Actress, singer, and celebrity Selena Gomez, who came forward about her own struggles with lupus in 2015, has made a donation to the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) to support new lupus research. While Gomez has been an important voice for the cause,…
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill authorizing $5 million a year for new lupus research under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, operated by the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command in Ft. Detrick, Maryland. The U.S. Senate will now consider the legislation. If passed, it will become law, allowing…
