Experts have found a possible cure for lupus

Lupus and other autoimmune diseases are a rampant problem in today’s world, affecting a significant portion of the global population. This particular disease is prevalent, with more than 1.5 million people in the U.S. alone requiring treatment.

Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that can inflict severe, even life-threatening damage to multiple organs like the kidneys, brain, and heart.

Until recently, the causes of lupus remained a medical mystery, but a breakthrough discovery offers hope for more targeted treatments.

Scientists have now unveiled a molecular defect which turns the body’s immune system rogue in lupus.

Existing treatments, often barely scratching the surface of this profound problem, come with a nasty hitch – they dilute the immune system’s potency to fight infections.

Lupus treatment breakthrough

“All therapy for lupus until this point has been a blunt instrument. It’s broad immunosuppression. By identifying a cause for this disease, we have found a potential cure that will not have the side effects of current therapies,” noted Professor Jaehyuk Choi, a professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“We’ve identified a fundamental imbalance in the immune responses that patients with lupus make, and we’ve defined specific mediators that can correct this imbalance to dampen the pathologic autoimmune response,” said Dr. Deepak Rao, a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and co-director of its Center for Cellular Profiling.

Lupus on the molecular level

The study uncovers a new pathway that steers the course of lupus. The research delves into the intricate mechanisms of the disease, revealing that multiple blood molecules in lupus patients exhibit significant disease-associated changes.

These changes pinpoint a pathway controlled by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) as crucial in the development and progression of the disease.

AHR plays a pivotal role in the body’s immune response, overseeing cells’ reactions to external factors such as pollutants, bacteria, or metabolites. It acts as a regulatory switch, modulating how cells respond to these environmental triggers.

Insufficient AHR activation

The experts found that insufficient activation of AHR leads to a detrimental cascade of immune responses, culminating in an increase in T peripheral helper cells.

These cells are notorious for promoting the production of disease-causing auto-antibodies, which attack the body’s own tissues and organs, leading to the severe manifestations of lupus.

By identifying this pathway and its impact on the immune system, the researchers have opened up new possibilities for targeted treatments. They can correct these specific molecular defects, potentially offering more effective and less harmful treatment option for lupus patients.

Lupus treatment potential

The scientists demonstrated the potential of their discovery for treating lupus. By reintroducing AHR-activating molecules back into blood samples from lupus patients, they were able to convert disease-causing cells into Th22 cells, potentially healing wounds inflicted by lupus.

“We found that if we either activate the AHR pathway with small molecule activators or limit the pathologically excessive interferon in the blood, we can reduce the number of these disease-causing cells,” explained Professor Choi.

Next, the team will turn their attention to developing novel treatments for lupus patients. They are actively working on finding ways to safely and effectively deliver these molecules, offering a potential cure and a new lease on life to millions of people affected by this disease.

Far-reaching implications

The implications of this breakthrough extend far beyond immediate treatment options. The discovery opens new research avenues for autoimmune diseases. It may ultimately offer insights into conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.

Understanding AHR’s role in immune regulation could advance personalized medicine. Treatments could be tailored to individual molecular profiles.

This personalized approach could improve the efficacy of treatments and reduce the risk of adverse side effects.

The research team’s findings could revolutionize patient care, providing hope for millions who suffer from chronic autoimmune conditions and paving the way for a future where these diseases can be precisely targeted and effectively managed.

The study is published in the journal Nature.

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