Aurinia Pharmaceuticals recently announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to voclosporin, a next-generation calcineurin inhibitor under development to treat patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and other autoimmune diseases. LN is a kidney inflammation caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in which patients may develop proteinuria,…
Researchers from Singapore’s leading science institute, A*STAR, found that a group of small noncoding RNAs, called mir-17-92, regulate B-cell function and antibodies in mice. The results may help pave the way for new lupus treatments and other diseases linked to B-cell dysfunction. Antibody-producing B-cells are a crucial part of our defense against pathogens. In autoimmune…
Immunovia AB recently announced it has entered into a collaboration with a large multinational life science company to jointly conduct trials to expand the application of IMMray, a technology platform based on antibody microarray analysis, to include autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The company was not otherwise…
Researchers at Denmark’s Aarhus Research Center for Innate Immunology have discovered that the influenza virus has the ability to hide itself from the immune system due to a protein that masks its entrance into cells. This mechanism, besides providing knowledge about viral immune evasion and aiding in the development of new strategies…
A collaborative research project conducted between The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California; Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut; and National Biotechnology Center in Madrid, Spain, has identified a small molecule called miR-148a as a key regulator of immune cells, where higher levels appear to cause autoimmune diseases. The paper, “…
The Alliance for Lupus Research and The Lupus Research Institute, in conjunction with the Congressional Lupus Caucus, are inviting lawmakers to a lunchtime briefing on the “New Action Plan for Lupus Research” recently released by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal…
The Lupus Foundation of America announced that its 2016 peer-reviewed research funding will include a focus on lupus studies into stem cells, environmental disease triggers, and outcomes in children and teenagers. Applications from researches are now being accepted for the awards, which can range up to $140,000. The foundation will…
How often should you exercise when you have lupus? Research has shown that lupus patients are strong believers in the benefits of exercise, but may not exercise enough over concerns of fatigue, overexposure to sunlight, and injury — legitimate concerns but ones less important than countering the disease’s impact on…
As a celebration for its 37th anniversary of independence, St. Lucia Arthritis and Lupus Association (SLALA) reflects on the journey so many people face by dealing with chronic diseases under the theme “The Journey Continues.” According to a press release, SLALA has created an opportunity for St. Lucians to find a way to…
Ulster University researchers found that mercury exposure through dental fillings or the consumption of seafood does not exacerbate symptoms of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). While there is a lack of scientific evidence, exposure to mercury is widely believed to trigger SLE in patients who are genetically susceptible. In…