Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital scientists have discovered a molecular defect that promotes the pathologic immune response in lupus and show that reversing this defect may potentially reverse the disease.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, meaning the immune system attacks healthy cells of organs or tissue. Formally called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the hallmark symptom is damaging inflammation affecting the skin, blood, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, and lungs.
“Up until this point, all therapy for lupus is a blunt instrument. It’s broad immunosuppression,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Jaehyuk Choi, “By identifying a cause for this disease, we have found a potential cure that will not have the side effects of current therapies.”
“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 co-corresponding author Dr. Deepak Rao. The study was published on the 10th of July, 2024.
This leads to a decreased activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway from specific blood molecules in palms with lupus. This pathway allows cells to detect the effects of environmental toxins and other foreign compounds—deficient AHR signaling results in excessive immune response and the generation of disease-inducing autoantibodies.
The researchers obtained blood samples from lupus patients. When researchers induced human blood samples to contain lupus and added AHR-activating molecules, the bad cells probably became healing versions that could mend damage in lupus. The number of such harmful cells was reduced upon activation of AHR or reduction of excess interferon in the blood.
He further added that if the effects are sustained, it has the potential to be a cure for lupus. These researchers are now developing new treatments for lupus patients and finding safe ways to deliver these molecules to patients.
There will be a revolution in the health industry with this kind of research!
Stay tuned with BuzyFeed!
