Findings from a large “Treat-to-Target” (T2T) study of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), focusing on patient and disease characteristics, and factors influencing a low disease activity state — associated with better long-term outcomes — were presented at the recent Australian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific Meeting in Darwin. Treat-to-Target (T2T), an approach used for the design…
Lupus patient organizations are working to launch the World Lupus Federation (WLF), a new coalition aiming to improve life for the more than five million lupus patients worldwide. The WLF will facilitate the efforts of some 200 national groups to promote lupus education, awareness, and advocacy. New members of the WLF’s International Steering Committee are…
Lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is difficult to diagnose and a challenge to treat, with a range of symptoms and no known cause or cure. But treatment options exist, including therapies being studied at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. YaleNews’s Ziba Kashef recently interviewed Dr. Lenore Buckley —…
Today, May 10, is World Lupus Day, and to mark the day, the newly launched World Lupus Federation (WLF) undertook its first global initiative — releasing the results of one of the largest global surveys ever conducted into public awareness of and attitudes toward lupus. The online, six-question survey, conducted March…
Researchers developed a new monoclonal antibody against specific cells and molecules involved in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that has shown potential both in vitro and in vivo studies. The findings have led the scientists to believe the antibody is ready for clinical testing in people as a potential new therapeutic agent. The study, by researchers at…
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals announced the results of three retrospective analyses that studied H.P. Acthar Gel in three distinct patient populations — relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and sarcoidosis. Results from each study, which focused on the product from a health economics perspective, were presented in poster sessions at…
May is Lupus Awareness Month, and the Lupus Foundation of America has started a Know Lupus campaign to increase public understanding of the disease and to raise research money so that a future with “no lupus” might be possible. Almost two-thirds of U.S. population knows little or nothing about lupus, a…
Researchers have identified a key molecular pathway that drives the maturation of antibody-producing B-cells, capable of weeding out harmful pathogens. The discovery may allow scientists to manipulate antibody responses to create new treatments for autoimmune diseases such as lupus. The study, “A TRAF-like motif of the inducible costimulator ICOS controls development of germinal center TFHcells via…
A California lawmaker, Sen. John Moorlach, has led a successful effort to designate May as California Lupus Awareness Month. The state’s Senate approved the resolution with a resounding 36-0 vote — cheered on by California’s three lupus organziations, the Lupus Foundation of Northern California, the Lupus Foundation of Southern California, and…
Immuno-molecular profiling of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients has uncovered a personalized molecular signature underlying disease activity that may help scientists develop new tailored therapeutics. The study, “Personalized Immunomonitoring Uncovers Molecular Networks that Stratify Lupus Patients,” was recently published in the journal Cell. SLE, which predominantly affects young women, is…