Researchers Identify Potential Cure for Lupus disease

In a groundbreaking development, scientists from Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have identified a molecular defect that drives the immune response in systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly known as lupus. This discovery, published in the journal Nature, brings hope for new treatments and possibly a cure for this debilitating disease.

Lupus affects over 1.5 million people in the United States, causing life-threatening damage to organs like the kidneys, brain, and heart. Current treatments often fail and can weaken the immune system, making patients vulnerable to infections.

Dr. Jaehyuk Choi from Northwestern Medicine, one of the study’s lead authors, stated, ‘Until now, lupus therapies have been broad immunosuppressants. By pinpointing a cause, we found a potential cure that avoids these side effects.’

Dr. Deepak Rao, co-author and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, explained that they discovered a new pathway involved in lupus. Changes in blood molecules of lupus patients lead to insufficient activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), resulting in an excess of immune cells that produce harmful autoantibodies.

In their study, researchers successfully reprogrammed these harmful cells into healing cells by activating the AHR pathway. This breakthrough could pave the way for new treatments.

Dr. Choi and his team are now working to develop and safely deliver these molecules to patients. This study involved contributions from numerous experts at both Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital and received support from various NIH grants and foundations.