Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), also called lupus, is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the immune system attacking the body's own tissues and organs, leading to inflammation and damage. The severity of the disease varies, from mild cases only involving the skin to severe cases affecting multiple organs, including the brain. Lupus sufferers experience flares, or intervals of active disease, and remissions in disease. The disease most predominantly occurs in women of childbearing age, but also affects children, adolescents, and men. While the cause of lupus is still unknown, various genetic, environmental, and infectious causes have been associated with its development. Current treatments for lupus vary depending on the extent of the disease, and may change over time. Some medications used to ease symptoms include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antimalarial drugs, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive medications, though many of these drugs carry their own risks.
We speak to Dr. Ruth Kroschewski about new research that details the existence of an 'exclusome', a cytoplasmic container that appears to explain where extra-chromosomal DNA goes once it is in a cell.
Throughout a person’s life, many stimuli can turn on and off many of the genes, resulting in the variances that distinguish people.
When you need a bit of motivation, it often has to come from within. New research suggests cancer-fighting immune cells have found a way to do just that.
A new clinical RNA sequencing platform at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is helping to facilitate research into rare genetic conditions and carve a path for Precision Child Health, a movement at SickKids to deliver individualized care for every patient.
Cancer that has spread to areas like the lungs can apply the brakes to a natural pathway that should recruit killer T cells directly to where it has metastasized, scientists report.
Researchers have revealed the modulatory effect of the anti-inflammatory metabolite itaconate on T helper and T regulatory cells, which may lead to new therapeutic approaches to treating some autoimmune diseases.
The biological function of the C-reactive protein, CRP, has long been unidentified. Investigators at LiU have discovered that this protein has a useful function in the inflammatory disease systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE.
The biological function of the C-reactive protein, CRP, has long been unknown. Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden now show that this protein has a beneficial function in systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE, an inflammatory disease.
For almost 140 years, the origin and behavior of an enigmatic cell type inside lymph nodes, called a tingible body macrophage, has remained a mystery.
People afflicted with autoimmune diseases may someday receive help through treatments now under development by a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) licensee and its' collaborations with two major pharmaceutical companies.
Researchers from Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Medicine in Japan have uncovered how microRNA (miRNA) affects inflammation in mice with lupus. They discovered two downregulated miRNAs in the disease along with a rare circumstance where several miRNAs control the same set of genes.
Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, the CNRS, and the Collège de France researchers have employed paleogenomics to trace 10,000 years of human immune system evolution. They examined the genomes of over 2,800 individuals who lived in Europe over the past 10 millennia.
CAR T cells, or engineered immune cells, have demonstrated to the world the potential of customized immunotherapies to treat blood cancers. Researchers have just released highly encouraging preliminary data for CAR T therapy in a small group of lupus patients.
Some genetic polymorphisms might expose individuals to the risk of autoimmune diseases while also protecting them against the effects of viral infection.
There is still a large unmet medical need for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, despite recent improvements in the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of ulcerative colitis.
Mitochondria are self-contained organelles that reside inside cells and are tasked with producing the chemical energy required to power vital tasks necessary for life and wellbeing. They have their own mini-chromosome and DNA.
According to a recent study of information from the Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program, there are genetic correlations between COVID-19 severity and specific medical disorders that are established risk factors for severe COVID-19.
Popular belief has been that small dogs, such as Pomeranians and Chihuahuas, exist because once dogs were domesticated, humans wanted small, cute companions.
A metabolic enzyme that has been studied in cancer biology and is important for T cell function may offer a new target for anti-inflammatory therapeutics, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
Immunologists have discovered a molecular route that regulates how crucial immune cells evolve into the immune system’s functioning components.