The scientists Main Causes of LupusIt is a chronic autoimmune disease.
Researchers from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston claim to have discovered a “molecular defect” that causes systemic lupus erythematosus, also known as lupus.
The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
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“Lupus is an autoimmune disease that fundamentally involves abnormal B cell activation and antibody production,” said study author Harvard Medical School “These findings are a major problem for many people, and it’s important to be aware of the risks,” the doctor, a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Fox News Digital in an email.
“This B cell activation and antibody production requires the help of T cells, white blood cells that are essential for the immune system’s activity.”
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body, causing inflammation and pain in the body. (iStock)
During the course of the study, the scientists tested the blood of 19 lupus patients and compared it with a control group. Healthy individuals.
Lupus patients share certain molecular changes in common that cause a “dramatic imbalance” in the types of T cells they produce, Rao said.
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This imbalance resulted in an excess of “harmful” T cells that damage cells and a shortage of “helpful” T cells needed to repair them.
The researchers also identified proteins called interferons that promote the excessive accumulation of T cells, Rao said.
“We’ve known for many years that lupus patients produce too much interferon, but it was unclear how interferon contributes to the disease,” he said.
“This study reveals a potential new therapeutic strategy for treating lupus.”
The study found that interferon contributes to lupus disease by promoting the proliferation of certain types of T cells and “amplifying pathological T-cell and B-cell interactions,” Rao said.
The researchers also discovered that activating a specific protein, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), could prevent T cells from developing into disease-causing cells.
About 1.5 million Americans have lupus, with about 16,000 new cases each year, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Lupus Foundation of America. (iStock)
“This study highlights a potential new therapeutic strategy for treating lupus,” Rao said.
“We aim to use small molecule activators of AHR that act specifically on T cells as therapeutic agents to suppress pathological T cell responses in lupus and reprogram those T cells toward other benign or protective functions.”
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This approach may be safer and more effective than the current widespread approaches. Immunosuppressant therapy The treatment targets disease-causing cells, said study co-author dermatologist Jaehyuk Choi, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of dermatology at Northwestern Medicine.
“While we don’t know which patients this will benefit most, our data suggests that this treatment may be broadly useful for all people with lupus,” Choi told Fox News Digital in an email.
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Dr. Mara Leonard Richard, director of scientific programs at the Lupus Research Alliance in New York City, which partially funded the study, said the research offers hope to people suffering from lupus symptoms.
“This research is very exciting and we are intrigued by the findings that may pave the way for new treatments,” Richard told Fox News Digital in an email.
Brooke Goldner, MD, a California-based board-certified physician and creator of the Ultranutrition Nutrition Protocol for Lupus Reversal, said targeted immunotherapy using T and B cells is a “new and exciting focus” in lupus research. (iStock/Dr. Brooke Goldner)
“However, lupus is a very complex disease with many interrelated factors, and further studies are needed to confirm these results,” she continued.
“We believe that many new targets and therapies are needed to improve the lives of lupus patients.”
Brooke Goldner, MD Based in California The board-certified physician and creator of the Ultranutrition Nutrition Protocol for Lupus Recovery said targeted immunotherapy using T and B cells is a “new and exciting focus” in lupus research.
“We believe that many new targets and therapies are needed to improve the lives of lupus patients.”
“If it proves effective, it would provide a much more tangible way to medically dampen the abnormal immune response in lupus patients. Current medication “It suppresses the immune system more broadly,” Goldner, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital in an email.
“However, the effectiveness and possible side effects of these treatments are still unknown.”
It’s still unclear how these immune cell abnormalities are caused, she noted.
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“People with lupus are not born with the condition, but at some point in their lives, symptoms are triggered and lead to a diagnosis,” Goldner said.
“So the question remains: were their immune cells actually normal before the disease was triggered? Does this trigger then activate abnormal immune cells? Gene expressionwhich triggers the production of these abnormal immune cells?”
“If that’s the case, immunotherapy [the researchers] Their proposed treatment would still be considered a treatment, not a cure, unless it shuts off gene expression more specifically and permanently.”
Study limitations
Rao acknowledged that the research was primarily conducted in vitro using patients’ cells.
“It remains to be seen what happens to the T cell response when AHR activators are used in humans, or how effective this strategy will be in ameliorating lupus symptoms,” he added.
Still, the researchers say the findings Lupus Treatment.
According to experts in the field, lupus is more common in women ages 15-44, and in African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. (iStock)
“This study is an excellent example of how careful analysis of samples from diseased patients can provide important new insights into disease-causing pathways,” Rao said.
“This ‘human immunology’ approach has provided both new insights into how T cells are regulated and new ideas for treating lupus.”
What you need to know about lupus
According to the Lupus Foundation of America website, lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body, causing inflammation and pain in the body.
The disease most commonly affects the joints, skin, and major organs such as the kidneys and heart.
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Common symptoms include joint pain, Extreme fatigue Or a butterfly rash.
As detailed on the foundation’s website, there are four different types of lupus.
A “butterfly rash” on the face is one of the defining symptoms of lupus. (iStock)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form, affects multiple organs or organ systems.
Cutaneous lupus only affects the skin, while drug-induced lupus is caused by certain prescription medications.
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Neonatal lupus is a rare disease that can be transmitted from pregnant women to their infants.
About 1.5 million Americans have lupus, with about 16,000 new cases each year, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Lupus Foundation of America.
Lupus can run in families and is more common. among women The target group is African American, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American and Pacific Islander people ages 15 to 44, according to the foundation.
Experts say that in addition to medication, lupus patients can manage the disease with certain lifestyle choices, such as following an anti-inflammatory diet and managing mental stress. (iStock)
In addition to medication, Goldner said lupus patients can manage their disease with certain lifestyle choices, such as a healthy diet. Anti-inflammatory diet Manage emotional stress.
“The field of lifestyle medicine has shown that lifestyle modifications can improve symptoms in the long term,” she said.
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“Researchers have discovered that these abnormal immune cell activities Lifestyle changes “The aim is to see if we can similarly reverse the activity of these abnormal B cells without more invasive medical procedures.”
