Exposure to dust and having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York are associated with an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, a study reports. This finding highlights the need for better monitoring of the…

Researchers have found that the antibody epratuzumab, which targets CD22 receptors, significantly reduces the activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in patients who also have Sjögren’s syndrome. A post-hoc analysis of the Phase 3 EMBODY trials, however, shows that the treatment is not effective in those without Sjögren’s syndrome. A post-hoc analysis…

Lupus patients’ risk of an autoimmune reaction while receiving a cancer immunotherapy is no greater than the general population’s, a Mayo Clinic study reports. The same is true of other rheumatic diseases, most of which affect joints and connective tissue, researchers said. Few people have flare-ups of these disorders when they go on…

A therapy that XTL Biopharmaceuticals is developing for autoimmune diseases significantly reduced the expression of several cell signaling molecules called cytokines that play a role in the development of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) associated with lupus, the company reported. The news came in a press release updating XTL’s efforts to develop hCDR1 for systemic…

Many studies have established that patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), Sjögren’s syndrome, and systemic lupus erythomatosus (SLE) have an increased risk for developing another autoimmune disease, but why this happens is still not fully understood. In a recent news report that presented data from multiple studies addressing the…

Scientists at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, in collaboration with Greek researchers, may have identified a trigger for autoimmune disorders that could shed light on how many diseases develop, including lupus. The investigators found virus-like components of the human genome that seem to be…

Dr. Jill Kramer at the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine will lead a research study into the role of a certain type of antibody in Sjögren’s syndrome and other autoimmune diseases, including lupus. The study, focused on determining whether IgM is indeed harmless or pathogenic, is funded by a National…

Professionally, Chloe Barlow is an attorney at law, but after receiving a diagnosis of lupus, she rekindled her childhood love for writing as a means to cope with her illness. “I first started having symptoms when I was 12, but they were always very mysterious,” said Chloe in the…

Researchers at the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Ohio State University developed the first chimeric mouse model to study  Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. Notably, this new mouse model will also allow researchers to study the human characteristics of other autoimmune diseases,…