WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In a ground-breaking study recently published in Nature, researchers from Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women's Hospital have made a significant discovery related to the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly known as lupus.
The researchers have identified a specific molecular defect that triggers the abnormal immune response in lupus and have suggested that correcting this defect could potentially lead to the reversal of the disease.
This discovery is a crucial step forward as, prior to this study, the causes of lupus were not clearly understood, and existing treatments often failed to effectively manage the disease, sometimes weakening the immune system's ability to combat infections.
Co-corresponding author Jaehyuk Choi, MD, PhD, a professor at Northwestern Medicine and a dermatologist, has expressed optimism about the potential of this research, stating that identifying the root cause of the disease could lead to a cure without the adverse effects of existing therapies.
The researchers conducted their analysis by comparing blood samples from 19 lupus patients with samples from a healthy control group. They observed deficiencies in a protein known as aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which plays a crucial role in regulating cellular responses to various threats. The impaired function of AHR can lead to the overproduction of T peripheral helper cells, which attack healthy cells. By reintroducing AHR-activating molecules into blood samples of lupus patients, the researchers were able to reduce the disease-causing cells. This targeted approach shows promise as a potential cure for lupus, offering a safer and more efficient alternative to current broad immunosuppressive treatments.
'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,' says co-author Dr. Deepak Rao, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Choi mentioned that further research is needed to determine the efficacy and safety of these treatments in lupus patients. Despite uncertainties about which patients would benefit most from this approach, early data suggests its potential utility for a wide range of individuals with lupus.
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