We try to keep up with all the latest news that is related to Lupus awareness and Lupus research. Email webmaster@Cure4Lupus.org if you have news to share.
Vitamins influence on genes studied Vitamin D influences more than 200 genes, including some that play a role in serious autoimmune conditions and cancer, a study has shown.
UCLA study identifies genetic variation linked to lupus in Asian men Genes reside along long chains of DNA called chromosomes. UCLA researchers have found that a variation in a gene on the sex chromosome X may enhance an immune response that leads to lupus in men.
Lupus Drug Benlysta® (belimumab) Priority Review Granted By FDA Benlysta® (belimumab), a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus has been granted a priority review designation by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA), which is granted to medications, that if approved, offer significant treatment advances or provide treatment when no proper therapy exists.
Black women with SLE develop cardiovascular disease at early age A recent study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found significant racial disparities in the age of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients at the time of hospital admission for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and CVD-related death. Black women were youngest to both be admitted with CVD and to have an in-hospital death due to CVD. Results of the study appear in the September issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.
Modified Systemic Lupus Disease Index Designed An additive scoring system for the BILAG-2004 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity index has been developed and should be useful for statistical analysis of SLE disease data, according to research published in the September issue of Rheumatology.
Research Examines The Biomedical Diagnosis Of Pain Is the science of diagnosing pain causing a number of pain sufferers to defend their honor? Research out of the University of Cincinnati is examining the diagnosis of pain that evades scientific testing, and the additional emotional suffering that can result for the patient
Anti-malarial Drugs Decrease Risk of Blood Clots in People with Lupus Researchers hoped to determine the risk of developing blood clots in people with lupus, while factoring in the year of diagnosis and disease severity.
Hydroxycholoroquine May Protect Against Skin Involvement in Lupus Researchers hoped to learn what factors have an impact on how much time it takes for a lupus patient to develop skin damage.
A Self-Assessed Lupus Organ Damage Instrument Researchers hoped to learn whether a lupus damage questionnaire, filled out by lupus patients instead of their doctors, would be accurate and/or useful.
Human Genome Sciences and Lonza Enter Commercial Manufacturing Agreement for BENLYSTA(R) Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:HGSI) and Lonza today announced an agreement for the future commercial supply of BENLYSTA(R) (belimumab), which is currently under regulatory review in the United States and Europe as a potential new treatment for SLE.
Boosting vitamin D may ease lupus fatigue People with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) may benefit from taking vitamin D supplements, new research suggests. A team at the University of the Basque Country in Bizkaia, Spain, found that boosting vitamin D levels may help to ease the fatigue experienced by people with lupus, although the intervention does not appear to reduce the severity of the disease itself.
Lupus gene 'protects against malaria' Researchers from the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and colleagues found that people with two copies of a particular gene variant are more susceptible to developing lupus, but that the same variant also confers increased protection against the malaria parasite.
New Target For Treating Autoimmunity Autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), occur when an individual's immune system turns on other cells in the body. Inappropriate and excessive production of the soluble immune mediators IL-17 and IL-21 have been linked to several autoimmune disorders.
Illinois establishes Lupus awareness program CHICAGO — Gov. Patrick Quinn has signed the Lupus Awareness and Education Act into law, establishing a program in the Illinois Department of Public Health to focus specifically on lupus education and awareness throughout the state.
New Drug Target For Immune Diseases Discovered Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found a new mechanism that explains how certain immune cells are activated to create protective antibodies against infections or pathological antibodies such as those present in autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Anthera initiates Phase IIb Study in Lupus with A-623 Anthera Initiates Expanded and Extended PEARL-SC Phase 2b Clinical Study in Lupus With A-623 - A Subcutaneous Dual Inhibitor of Membrane and Soluble B-Cell Activating Factor (BAFF or BLyS).
Stem Cell Transplant Benefits Severe Lupus Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell transplantation resulted in improvements in disease activity, serologic markers, and renal function in patients with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a pilot study conducted in China found
Researchers Uncover Biological Rationale for Why Intensive Lupus Treatment Works Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered the biological rationale for why large doses of corticosteroids given repeatedly over several weeks may help individuals with lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects more than 1 million people in the U.S.
DHEA Treatment for Fatigue in SLE? Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone on Fatigue and Well-being in Women With Quiescent Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
An Exploration Study of Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Treatment in Lupus The researchers hoped to determine whether umbilical cord stem cells could be given safely to people with severe and treatment-resistant lupus, and whether this might help to treat lupus.
HGSI Inks Supply Deal for Benlysta and Switzerland-based company Lonza inked a supply deal for Human Genome’s potential blockbuster lupus drug candidate, Benlysta. The financial clauses of the agreement were not disclosed.
New Research Uncovers Why Many With Lupus Are Resistant To Traditional Treatments Two immune system proteins could be the culprit behind many lupus patients' resistance to widely used steroid treatments, scientists with the Baylor Research Institute (BRI) in Dallas announced today.
FDA Sets Endpoint for Trials Testing Lupus Treatments. Drugmakers developing products for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) should use a disease activity index such as the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group as the primary efficacy endpoint in clinical trials, the FDA says. Drugmakers also should conduct at least two adequate and well-controlled trials, the FDA says in a final guidance on developing drugs to treat SLE. The preferred design is a parallel, randomized, controlled superiority trial using placebo or active control. In general, the trial should be at least one year in duration.
People With Lupus Denied Health Insurance Due To Pre-Existing Condition May Be Able To Obtain Coverage Through Health Care Reform Law Plan President Obama signed the Health Care Reform package in to law in March 2010, which will extend insurance coverage to as many as 32 million Americans who currently do not have health insurance, as well as provide much-needed protections for people with lupus and other chronic conditions
Antioxidants no help vs rheumatoid arthritis, lupus. Antioxidants in food and supplements might not protect women from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or lupus after all, a large U.S. study suggests.
Oxidative And Nitrosative Stress Contribute To Lupus Disease Activity University of Texas Medical Branch researchers have uncovered an association between free radical-mediated reactions and the severity and progression of system lupus erythematosus (SLE). Higher levels of oxidative and nitrosative stress markers were found in SLE patients with greater disease activity suggesting a causal relationship
Researchers discover a link between arthritis and bacteria residing in the gut. On June 17, 2010 Harvard Medical School released a news alert containing information gained during a study focusing on the connection between bacteria found in the gut and arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis And SLE Negatively Affect The Sex Lives Of Patients
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients from Brazil and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients from France report that their rheumatic conditions negatively affect their emotional relationships and sex lives, according to research presented at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy.
Clinical Differences In Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus Patients May Be Affected By Genealogy
The effects of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) may differ based on the individual patient's genealogical heritage, according to results of a new study presented at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy
Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus data reveal differences in epidemiology across continents Rome, Italy, Friday 18 June 2010: The Chinese Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Treatment and Research Group (CSTAR) announced interim epidemiological information on SLE patients in China today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. Robust data on SLE patients has been scarce to date; but now CSTAR provides the first online registry of this magnitude in China. To date the registry has collated data from 2,104 SLE patients across 30 Chinese provinces.
Epratuzumab PhaseIIb study shows efficacy New data from EMBLEM™ study shows pipeline drug epratuzumab provided significant efficacy for patients suffering from moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus
New Data Presented From EMBLEM™ Study For Pipeline Drug Epratuzumab For Patients Suffering From Moderate To Severe Systemic Lupus Erythematosus UCB (Euronext: UCB) and Immunomedics, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMMU) announced new lupus drug candidate, epratuzumab, provided a significant reduction in disease activity in patients with moderate to severe active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
New Data Shows Epratuzumab Provided Significant Efficacy For Patients With Moderate To Severe Systemic Lupus Erythematosus UCB (EURONEXT: UCB) and Immunomedics Inc. (NASDAQ:IMMU) announced new lupus drug candidate, epratuzumab, provided a significant reduction in disease activity in patients with moderate to severe active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
NATURE Publishes New Dynavax Findings On Novel Role Of TLRs In Lupus Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: DVAX) today reported in NATURE new data that may explain the resistance of lupus patients to glucocorticoid treatment. In the June 16, 2010 issue of NATURE, Dynavax scientists show that activation of cells of the innate immune system by two key receptors, TLR7 and TLR9, can cause glucocorticoid resistance in lupus patients
Animal Study Sheds Light on Development of Lupus Nephritis Researchers hope to learn more about human lupus by figuring out how to make it develop in animals. A drug called polycytidylic acid (PCA) causes increased activity of immune system proteins called interferons (IFNs), which seem to play a role in the development of lupus. In mice that are already bred to be somewhat prone to lupus, the appearance of some features that look like the human disease, including lupus nephritis, are accelerated by giving PCA.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease in People with Lupus Although it is known that people with lupus are at greater risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), very little is known about which people with lupus really are at risk and which are not. Some studies have found that factors other than the “classic” CHD risk factors (i.e., high cholesterol or blood pressure, smoking, and a family history of CHD) may contribute to CHD risk. These include some features of lupus itself as well as some likelihood of additional risk factors from lupus treatments, especially steroids.
Which Women With Lupus Have Greater Risk for Human Papilloma Virus? This is a study of HPV infection in women with lupus, which examined the question of whether immune-suppressing treatments have any impact on the risk of HPV infection in women with lupus.
Human Genome Sciences Announces Submission of Biologics License Application to FDA for BENLYSTA Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) today announced that it has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to market BENLYSTA® (belimumab) for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Lupus Research Institute Hails Results of CellCept® Trial in People with Lupus Kidney Disease Persistence pays off as phase III study points to possible new treatment for this often deadly lupus complication
Rituximab Safe and Effective for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus In contrast to other trials, a French study shows the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab to be well tolerated and clinically effective in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
New Study Demonstrates Improvements in Lupus Patients Receiving Stem Cell Therapies Lupus study shows promising results using umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells
Immune Cell's Role in Lupus Nephritis Demonstrated, Paves Way for Safety Testing of Potential New Use for Asthma Drug National Institutes of Health scientists have discovered that the activation of immune cells called basophils causes kidney damage in a mouse model of lupus nephritis. These findings and the team’s associated research in humans may lead to new treatments for this serious disease, a severe form of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that affects the kidneys and is difficult to treat.
Death Rates Still High in Lupus Nephritis Long-term mortality remains high among patients with lupus nephritis despite improvements in overall care for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a Danish cohort study showed.
HUMAN GENOME SCIENCES ANNOUNCES SUBMISSION OF MARKETING AUTHORIZATION APPLICATION TO EMA FOR BENLYSTA® (BELIMUMAB) Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) today announced that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for approval to market BENLYSTA® (belimumab) for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Immune cell's role in lupus nephritis demonstrated National Institutes of Health scientists have discovered that the activation of immune cells called basophils causes kidney damage in a mouse model of lupus nephritis. These findings and the team's associated research in humans may lead to new treatments for this serious disease, a severe form of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that affects the kidneys and is difficult to treat.
Clinical Trials in Lupus: What have We Learned so Far? - Understanding the gap between reality and expectation Despite the advances in understanding the aetiology and pathogenesis of SLE, a sobering fact is that no new drug has yet been licensed for its treatment. This is interesting when set against the backdrop of promising open-label experience with rituximab in particular. The apparent gap between expectation and reality raises questions about the true efficacy of these drugs, and whether trial design, outcomes measured or the choice of co-therapies have clouded the issue, running the risk that effective drugs may be inappropriately discarded. For the patient and physician, this gap translates into a longer wait for approved drugs to become available. So far, clinical trials have highlighted many observations and lessons that might help inform their future planning and execution.
La Jolla Pharmaceuticals gets $6 million infusion Struggling La Jolla Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that it has found institutional investors to commit up to $6 million toward efforts to restart its business.
Center for Clinical Trials Education Adds Lupus Registry The LFA’s Center for Clinical Trial Education (CCTE) has expanded its services to provide registered participants notification of studies in their area. Sign up for the Lupus Research Registry and be notified of studies in your area that are actively recruiting participants. When an investigator alerts the LFA of a study, the LFA will send an email alert to registered individuals who live in areas that correspond to study sites. Registration is free and confidential.
Blood Components Help Differentiate Lupus and Antiphospholid Syndrome Some people have antiphospholipid syndrome without other forms of lupus, called primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS). The researchers hoped to learn whether people with systemic lupus or PAPS had different amounts of TNF-α and sIL-2R in their blood.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Benefits People with Lupus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that explores the role of thinking in people’s well-being. One previous study investigated the effects of this treatment on stress in people with lupus. That study found that CBT, along with biofeedback, reduced pain and improved coping in people with lupus for up to nine months after the study was conducted.
Provision of preventive health care in systemic lupus erythematosus: data from a large observational cohort study IntroductionCancer and infections are leading causes of mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after diseases of the circulatory system, and therefore preventing these complications is important. In this study, we examined two categories of preventive services in SLE: cancer surveillance (cervical, breast, and colon) and immunizations (influenza and pneumococcal).
Rep. Riley and Sen. Hutchinson Push for Evaluation of Lupus Programs in Illinois State Rep. Al Riley (D-Olympia Fields) and state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D - Olympia Fields) have passed a resolution urging Illinois health and human service agencies to assess state and federal programs that treat and study lupus to evaluate whether or not populations that are disproportionately affected by the disease have been educated about it and have access to proper treatment.
World of Lupus Research Expands as Florida Joins LRI National Coalition Addition of State of Florida on World Lupus Day 2010 Pumps Extra Strength into Patient’s Voice for Lupus Research
Eduardo Xol From ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Bands Together With The Lupus Foundation Of America To Support Lupus Awareness Month
This May for Lupus Awareness Month, Eduardo Xol from ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has joined the Lupus Foundation of America to ask individuals to Band Together for Lupus® and commit to doing one thing to raise awareness of lupus
Important Control Mechanism Behind Autoimmune Diseases Discovered
Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered a new control mechanism in our immune system. The discovery is of potential significance to the treatment of serious diseases such as MS (multiple sclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis, and SLE (Systemic lupus erythematosus).
Rescue NET for lupus patients Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin together with medical scientists from the University of Erlangen succeeded in elucidating basic principles of the disease. This opens up new perspectives for methods that might enable early diagnosis and treatment of Lupus patients with a high risk at kidney failure.
Atherosclerosis in Children with SLE Investigators from Taiwan carried out a prospective study of patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to determine parameters associated with atherosclerosis.
Update on New Therapies in SLE Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: The Current State of Therapy.
Human Genome Sciences And GlaxoSmithKline Release Topline 76-Week Results For BENLYSTA
In July and November of 2009 Human Genome Sciences (HGS) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced positive 52-week data for BENLYSTA™ (belimumab) from two Phase 3 clinical trials, BLISS-52 and Bliss-76
Increased Levels of Circulating Microparticles in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis and Relation with Disease Activity Cell stimulation leads to the shedding of phosphatidylserine (PS)-rich microparticles (MPs). Because autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are characterized by cell activation, we investigated level of circulating MPs as a possible biomarker in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Why lupus is more common in people of Asian and African descent A group of scientists think they've figured out why the autoimmune disease lupus afflicts people of Asian and African descent at higher rates than Caucasians. Their theory: A form of a gene that raises risk of lupus has a plus side -- rendering the carrier more resistant to malaria.
Lupus in Newborns Predicts Heart Block in Siblings Identification of cutaneous neonatal lupus in a child born to an autoantibody-positive mother is essential, because it predicts a high risk of congenital heart block in subsequent offspring, researchers warned.
ALR Announces 2010 TIL Grantees The ALR is awarding its first grants of the year to nine new investigators through its Target Identification in Lupus (TIL) program.
New Research Study To Follow Sisters Of Lupus Patients Scientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have embarked on a national search for sisters. The SisSLE (Sisters of Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) research study is looking for sisters: one with a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease and one (or more) who does not have lupus.
Antimalarials and Mortality in Lupus: Should Hydroxychloroquine Be in the Water? In this long-term prospective observational study, as part of the Grupo Latino Americano de Estudio del Lupus Eritematoso (GLADEL) project, researchers from 9 Latin American countries investigated the relationship between antimalarial use and mortality in lupus.
Developments in the Clinical Understanding of Lupus Advances in genetics and new understanding of the molecular pathways that mediate innate and adaptive immune system activation, along with renewed focus on the role of the complement system as a mediator of inflammation, have stimulated elaboration of a scheme that might explain key mechanisms in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Earlier Steroid Treatment In Pediatric Lupus Patients Is Related to Higher Risk of Bone Disease Steroids are frequently used to treat moderate-to-severe lupus flares because they are highly effective and work quickly. However, steroids have many serious side effects, including potentially severe damage to joints or "osteonecrosis," which is an interruption of the blood supply to the bone. How much of a risk this may pose for children with lupus or younger adults with lupus has not been well-studied.
Urine May Help Track Kidney Disease and Predict Treatment Success in People With Lupus
Lupus nephritis (LN) - inflammation of the kidney - can damage the kidney’s ability to remove waste from the body. Currently, the best way to diagnose kidney inflammation is with a biopsy, an invasive procedure that can sometimes have serious side effects. Researchers have been working to develop specific tests that could be done on urine that could evaluate kidney disease without a biopsy, something that could be a major advance for people with lupus
Low Level of Vitamin D Does Not Necessarily Result in Bone Disease in People With Lupus
People with lupus are advised to avoid the sun because the ultraviolet rays can trigger rashes. Some patients experience more widespread flares after sun exposure. However, sun avoidance leads to low levels of vitamin D in the body. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with thinning of the bones, or "osteoporosis." Steroids are often used to treat lupus since they work fast and are highly effective, but they can also increase osteoporosis. For these reasons, among others, people with lupus are at increased risk for osteoporosis.
HHMI's Gilliam Fellowships Aim To Increase Diversity In The Sciences
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has selected five exceptional individuals to receive the 2010 Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study. These students will join a dynamic group of 30 Gilliam fellows, who share a passion for science and a commitment to increasing diversity in the sciences.
Psychotherapy May Help Autoimmune Disease
This study shows that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in dealing with patients suffering from lupus and high levels of daily stress as it significantly reduces the incidence of psychological disorders associated with lupus and improves and maintains patients' QOL, despite there being no significant reduction in the disease activity index. | 04 Mar 2010 |
| Cyclosporine an Effective Corticosteroid-Sparing Agent in Severe SLE To avoid steroids in patients with severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), cyclosporine can be used when azathioprine isn't tolerated, British researchers say. | 24 Feb 2010 |
| Hydroxychloroquine Delays Onset of Integument Damage in Lupus The antimalarial hydroxychloroquine appears to significantly delay the onset of integument damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, a new study shows. | 24 Feb 2010 |
An Early Study of a New Treatment (Tocilizumab) for Lupus Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a protein that helps to control inflammation in the body. People with lupus sometimes have increased IL-6 in the blood, and some studies suggest that IL-6 might increase with lupus flares. If the activity of IL-6 could be blocked, it might help to decrease inflammation. | 19 Feb 2010 |
Can Blood Tests Help Us Learn about CNS Lupus (Lupus and the Brain)? In some people with lupus, mild or, more rarely, severe inflammation of the brain, also called Central Nervous System lupus (CNS lupus), can occur. Sometimes it is hard to know the difference between CNS lupus and problems that might be due to fatigue, depression, or migraine headaches. Therefore, it would be helpful to have blood tests that could tell the difference, so appropriate treatments could be given. | 19 Feb 2010 |
Study Finds Risk Factors for Heart Disease in People With Lupus Some people with lupus seem to be at increased risk for heart disease. It would be very helpful to know about specific factors that could help to predict this risk. The researchers hoped to learn what characteristics of people living with lupus might help to predict heart disease. | 19 Feb 2010 |
Twin Study Seeks to Unravel Genetic Clues to Lupus Development DNA contains the blueprints for all the proteins in the body. DNA is wound up in tight coils and when a cell wants to make a protein, these coils unravel to expose the instructions for making that protein. The degree to which DNA stays tightly coiled or loosens up is influenced by whether or not chemicals called "methyl groups" are attached to specific parts of the DNA. The researchers hoped to find out if DNA methylation is different between twins when one twin has lupus and the other does not. | 19 Feb 2010 |
| Predictors of Major Infections in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Infections commonly complicate the course of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim is to investigate the clinical predictors of major infections in patients with SLE. | |
| Molecular Therapies for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Clinical Trials and Future Prospects The prognosis of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus has greatly improved since treatment regimens combining corticosteroids and immunosuppressive medications have been widely adopted in therapeutic strategies given to these patients. Immune suppression is evidently efficient but also leads to higher susceptibility to infectious and malignant diseases. | |
Testing For Urinary Proteins Might Help Diagnose Kidney Damage From Lupus Simple urine tests for four proteins might be able to detect early kidney disease in people with lupus, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in an animal study. Although it might take years before such tests could be used clinically, the findings suggest they could pinpoint kidney disease better than tests currently in use, the researchers said. | 16 Feb 2010 |
Molecular Therapies for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Clinical Trials and Future Prospects The prognosis of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus has greatly improved since treatment regimens combining corticosteroids and immunosuppressive medications have been widely adopted in therapeutic strategies given to these patients. Immune suppression is evidently efficient but also leads to higher susceptibility to infectious and malignant diseases. Toxic effects and sometimes unexpectedly dramatic complications of current therapies have been progressively reported. Identifying novel molecular targets therefore remains an important issue in the treatment of lupus. The aim of this review article is to highlight emerging pharmacological options and new therapeutic avenues for lupus with a particular focus on non-antibody molecular strategies. | 10 Feb 2010 |
| Antimalarials Recommended for All Lupus Patients Use of antimalarial agents can improve survival with systemic lupus erythematosus and should be given to all patients with the disease, according to a report in the January 7th issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. | 22 Jan 2010 |
TAU Expert Reviews Environmental Triggers (hairspray! Lipstick!) Of Common Autoimmune Diseases
The links between autoimmune diseases, infections, genetics and the environment are complex and mysterious. Why are people who live near airports more susceptible to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus? How do hormones in meat trigger the onset of a disease?Our immediate environment interacts with our genetic programming and can determine if we will succumb to an autoimmune disease, says rheumatologist Prof. | 26 Jan 2010 |
New Therapeutic Approach Identified For Kidney Disease Associated With Lupus
Investigators have identified a new disease mechanism and therapeutic approach for a type of advanced kidney disease that is a common cause of complications in patients with lupus. The study was led by investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery and appears in the January 25 online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. | 26 Jan 2010 |
| Anti-TNF Drug-induced Lupus is More Severe. Some patients with inflammatory autoimmune diseases exposed to anti-TNF blockade experience drug-induced Lupus which is more severe than other forms of drug-induced Lupus, according to new report in the Journal of Rheumatology. | 17 Jan 2010 |
| Major Report to Congress by Secretary of Health and Human Services Documents Need for National Lupus Health Education Program for Health Care Providers. A major report on lupus from the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the U.S. Congress this week reviews the state of the disease and documents the need for a comprehensive national provider health education program to help eliminate the barriers of racial disparities in the early medical diagnosis and treatment of lupus. | 22 Jan 2010 |
People Who Have Both Lupus and Antiphospholipid Syndrome Might Have Higher Risk of Thyroid Disease The thyroid is a gland in the neck which helps the body keep order over how food and nutrients are handled and how fast people grow, gain or lose weight, how the heart beats, or how blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the blood respond to these changes. A protein called "thyroid peroxidase" helps to modify other proteins that the thyroid produces that perform all of these functions. Some people make antibodies (immune proteins) against their own thyroid peroxidase (these are called "anti-TPO"). People with anti-TPO sometimes have an underactive thyroid; this causes weight gain, fatigue, and a tendency to feel cold when other people around you do not. | |
Potential New Indicators of Lupus Being Studied in Children Since the 1970s, researchers have known that lupus patients are at risk for hardening of the arteries (“atherosclerosis”). Some of this risk may be from the increased inflammation that lupus patients have in the bloodstream over many years, but some of it is from the same reasons that hold true for everybody: especially high blood pressure, high blood glucose (sugar), or low levels of "good cholesterol." | |
A Second Flu Shot Might Be More Effective in Some People With Lupus One of the ways that the immune system fights off the flu is by making antibodies (immune proteins) that can recognize the flu virus and attack it. The immune system can also make little chemicals called "cytokines" that signal to the white blood cells to make more of these antibodies when there is a virus in the bloodstream. The flu shot is made with dead virus that can help a patient make protecting antibodies but won’t cause the full flu infection to start up. In this way, individuals can be protected in advance before they are exposed to the flu that is "going around" in their community. Some lupus patients make fewer antibodies to the flu shot than most people, and there is some concern that medications for lupus can reduce the response to the flu shot since they can suppress the immune system in other ways. If there was a way to increase these responses, then the flu shot might be more effective for people with lupus. | |
| The Body Count at Home Nikki was a slim and athletic college graduate who had health insurance, had worked in health care and knew the system. But she had systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic inflammatory disease that was diagnosed when she was 21 and gradually left her too sick to work. And once she lost her job, she lost her health insurance. | |
| Rock Your Religion — The Howie Pendant by Rock Your Religion Howie Dorough (Howie D. of the Backstreet Boys) and Rock Your Religion team up to conquer Lupus! We designed this pendant to be worn with courage, strength, hope and love: the cornerstones of Rock Your Religion and the principles of the Dorough Lupus Foundation. | |
Immunosuppressants Render Flu Vaccination Less Effective in People With Lupus The immune system fights off the flu in different ways. One way is by making antibodies (immune proteins) that recognize the flu virus and attack it. Another way is by activating certain white blood cells to fight the virus; this is called "cell-mediated immunity." Since cell-mediated responses to the influenza vaccine also influence how well the vaccine will work, it is important to understand how lupus may affect the body’s cell-mediated response to the vaccine. | 20 Jan 2010 |
| Update of the Guidelines for Lupus Anticoagulant Detection: F1000 Ranking: "Changes Clinical Behavior" | 12 Jan 2010 |
The Lupus Foundation Of America Seeks Applications For Its 2010 Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program
The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is seeking applications for its 2010 Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program. The purpose of these awards is to foster an interest among young investigators in lupus research under the supervision of an established in investigator. | 13 Jan 2010 |
Epratuzumab Receives U.S. Patent - Lupus Foundation Of America, Inc.
A U.S. patent has been issued to Immunomedics, Inc. for epratuzumab, a monoclonal antibody under development as a potential new treatment for lupus. In August of 2009, Immunomedics and its partner, UCB of Belgium, reported promising data from a phase IIb clinical study of epratuzumab involving 227 individuals with moderate to severe lupus. | 12 Jan 2010 |
| ALR named official charity of the Suzuki Owner's Club of North America. | 9 Jan 2010 |
Belimumab Reduces Lupus Flares in a Phase III Clinical Trial Belimumab, a BLyS-specific inhibitor, reduces disease activity, flares, and prednisone use in patients with active SLE: efficacy and safety results from the phase 3 BLISS-52 study. (2009).
American College of Rheumatology Abstracts | 9 Jan 2010 |
| Genomes Of Identical Twins Reveal Epigenetic Changes That May Play Role In Lupus Identical twins look the same and are nearly genetically identical, but environmental factors and the resulting cellular changes could cause disease in one sibling and not the other. In a study published online in Genome Research | 29 Dec 2009 |
Urine Components May Indicate Severity of Lupus Nephritis Lupus may involve inflammation of the kidney, called lupus nephritis, which can impair the kidney’s ability to remove waste from the body. Since normal kidney function is vital, lupus nephritis requires aggressive treatments. Currently, the best way to diagnose kidney inflammation is with a biopsy, which is an invasive procedure that can sometimes have serious side effects. If there were tests that could be done to help diagnose and evaluate lupus nephritis without a biopsy, this would be a major advance for patients. | 23 Dec 2009 |
Genentech’s Rontalizumab Is Well-Tolerated by Lupus Patients in a Phase I Clinical Trial New treatments for lupus have to undergo a series of clinical trials to test whether they are safe and effective before the FDA can approve them for general use in patients. This trial was the first stage of testing for rontalizumab, which is a new treatment that interferes with an inflammatory protein called "interferon-alpha." Interferon-alpha is increased in many people with lupus, so it is thought that maybe this kind of treatment might work for lupus. The first stage of testing, called Phase I, is focused mostly on testing the safety of new treatments. Phase I studies are kind of like dipping your toe in the water and typically involve small numbers of patient volunteers. If the treatment seems safe enough after Phase I, then larger studies can be done to see if the treatment would help to treat the symptoms of lupus | 23 Dec 2009 |
New Criteria To Be Tested For Lupus Diagnosis The American College of Rheumatology established criteria for lupus in 1982, which were most recently revised in 1997. However, as time goes by and new research is completed, it makes sense to revisit how lupus is defined. | 23 Dec 2009 |
| Usefulness of Antimalarial Drugs in Lupus by Bruno Oliveira, MD, To say that this decade has been good for antimalarial drugs is an understatement. Study after study kept coming up with new and seemingly unrelated benefits of these old drugs. A paper in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases (January 2010 issue) summarizes the data from most relevant studies on this issue | 13 Dec 2009 |
President Obama signed the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010 this week. It provides a second year of $1 million funding, $2.6 million total to date for the new national lupus physician and health care provider education program! Lupus education will now be developed for the nation’s medical schools to give doctors and community-based health care providers the tools to pause and ask that crucial question, “COULD IT BE LUPUS?” The appropriations bill also designates $4.5 million for the Center for Disease Control’s National Lupus Patient Registry. | 18 Dec 2009 |
Your Voices Were Heard! Thanks to you, Congress has heard how important lupus funding is to their constituents! On Sunday, December 13, 2009, Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010. In this bill there is: $4,505,000 for the National Lupus Patient Registry (NLPR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is an increase of $505,000 over FY09 Appropriations. $1 million to continue the national lupus health education program for physicians and healthcare providers within the Office of Minority Health was also included.. | 14 Dec 2009 |
| A “Breakthrough Decade”: $100 Million for Innovative Lupus Research It was announced last night that over the past decade, the Lupus Research Institute (LRI)’s pioneering science has generated $100 million in new research funding for the devastating autoimmune disease of systemic lupus. | 12 Dec 2009 |
$3.6 Million Awarded To Drive Innovative Science In Lupus And Autoimmunity
The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) has named 12 new grant recipients for 2009. The awards, totaling $3.6 million, recognize innovative work across a broad spectrum of lupus research. All were selected for their creativity, novelty, and potential to drive scientific discovery to ultimately prevent, treat, and cure the complex disease of systemic lupus. | 26 Nov 2009 |
Saliva Proteins Change As Women Age
In a step toward using human saliva to tell whether those stiff joints, memory lapses, and other telltale signs of aging are normal or red flags for disease, scientists are describing how the protein content of women's saliva change with advancing age. | 20 Nov 2009 |
| Could I Have Lupus? Awareness Campaign is # 1 for Outdoor Donated Media Dollars in Q2 2009! We are excited to share with you the final donated and earned media results for Q2 2009 for the Could I Have Lupus? Awareness campaign. The campaign received $9,311,000 in total donated media support and $597,800 in earned media support (public relations) in Q2 2009. | 13 Nov 2009 |
Smokers With Common Autoimmune Disorder At Higher Risk For Skin Damage
As if there weren't enough reasons to stop smoking, a team of researchers at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have just found another. A study led by Dr. Christian A Pineau, Co-Director of the Lupus and Vasculitis clinic at the MUHC, has clearly linked skin damage and rashes to smoking in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). | 04 Nov 2009 |
BENLYSTA™ Successful In Second Pivotal Clinical Trial
Human Genome Sciences (HGS) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced positive results from BLISS-76, the second of two large-scale phase III clinical trials of BENLYSTA™ (belimumab) for treating systemic lupus. | 03 Nov 2009 |
Lupus Patients Who Receive Kidney Transplants Rarely Develop Lupus Nephritis
Individuals with a history of lupus who receive a kidney transplant rarely develop the serious inflammatory condition lupus nephritis in their new organ, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA. | 02 Nov 2009 |
NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SYNDROMES COMMON WITH LUPUS AND SJOGREN SYNDROME Neuropsychiatric involvement is common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and primary Sjogren syndrome (PSS), according to findings in the October issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The pattern of involvement, however, differs between the diseases. | |
National Report Shines Light on Lupus 50-Year Treatment Drought Today, The Lewin Group, a national health care consulting firm, issued recommendations on ways to overcome the barriers that have obstructed lupus drug development resulting in no new drug approval for this disease in more than 50 years -- since the Eisenhower Administration. The recommendations are included in the report Overcoming Barriers to Drug Development in Lupus, which is the outcome of a 9-month study commissioned by the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA). | |
| Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) Supports Lupus Research Through Colloquy Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) took a strong stand in support of lupus research in early August by executing a colloquy, or formal discussion, with Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), who chairs the Department of Defense's (DoD) appropriations subcommittee, to reinstate lupus as a disease to receive DoD funding. | |
| Seeking People with Lupus to Participate in a Survey Between October 19 – November 9, BioVid Corp. -- a market research firm – is conducting a survey. Specifically, they want to survey people living with lupus about their experiences with, and attitudes toward, the management of some health conditions.Anyone living in the United States is eligible to participate. BioVid is looking for up to 100 people to take part in this survey, which will take about 45 minutes to complete. For those selected to participate in the survey, there’s a $75 stipend.If you are interested in participating, please contact Dusten Lorenz at dlorenz@biovid.com to begin the initial screening process. | 19 Oct 2009 |
Young Women With Autoimmune Condition Need To Be Warned About The Dangers Of Smoking And Use Of Oral Contraceptives
An article published Online First and in the November edition of The Lancet Neurology reports that women with a particular subtype of antibody called lupus anticoagulant (LA) have a more than 40-fold increased risk of stroke. | 28 Sept 2009 |
Fifty Percent Rise In Number Of Women 18-44 Hearing About Lupus Through Media, Survey Finds
The Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health (OWH) announced today that 22 percent of women ages 18-44 reported hearing more about lupus within the past year, according to a national online survey released by the two organizations.
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