Lupus Updates from Major European Rheumatology Meeting (EULAR) 2012
Physicians, researchers and patients came together in Berlin last week for the 2012 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR). The four-day program covered the gamut of rheumatological diseases and included new advances in basic science, new treatments, and clinical practice. In attendance to represent the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) and report on the key lupus news from the lab and clinic was Dr. Jen Bell, LRI Research Director.
Following are summaries of key research findings with the greatest potential to make a difference for people with lupus. Visit the LRI website at lupusresearchinstitute.org for more information on each study.
NEW TREATMENTS
Putting the Brakes on B Cells: a Potential New Treatment Approach for Lupus
Early findings presented by Dr. Thomas Dörner (Charité Berlin & German Rheumatism Research Center) provide new understanding of the possible benefits of epratuzumab treatment, a potentially new monoclonal antibody therapy in lupus.
In lupus, the B cells of the immune system are abnormally active, causing them to produce antibodies that attack the skin, joints, heart, kidneys and central nervous system. Epratuzumab, which is directed against a specific molecule on the surface of a B cell, CD22, is one of several new drugs being tested in lupus that aim to treat disease by specifically targeting B cells.
Learn More at LupusResearchInstitute.org
New Anti-interferon Treatment Passes First Hurdle
AGS-009, a new monoclonal antibody-based therapy targeting interferon-alpha, is safe in lupus patients and able to neutralize interferon-alpha activity, according to new clinical trial results reported at EULAR 2012.
Based on these positive results Argos Therapeutics hopes to begin new trials to determine if AGS-009 is effective in treating lupus.
Learn More at LupusResearchInstitute.org
Cancer Drug May Help Treatment-Resistant Lupus
Bortezomib (Velcade), a drug for a type of cancer myeloma, may have promise for lupus patients who have failed to respond to conventional treatments, according to a pilot patient study presented at EULAR 2012. Bortezomib targets antibody-producing cells, which in lupus produce harmful antibodies against the body’s cells and tissue. Learn More at LupusResearchInstitute.org CLINICAL SCIENCE
People Newly-diagnosed with Lupus At Greatest Risk for Seizures
Lupus patients are most likely to experience seizures within the first year after they are diagnosed with the disease, according to a new international study reported at EULAR 2012.
Many lupus patients will experience symptoms such as depression, seizures and memory problems at some time in the course of the disease. The question was why and how.
The 10-year prospective study of over 1600 patients in 11 countries aimed to establish how often and when seizures occur in lupus, and to find out which patients are at greatest risk.
Learn More at LupusResearchInstitute.org BASIC SCIENCE
Immune system switch defective in lupus
Cells that protect against autoimmunity are mistakenly turned off in lupus due to a faulty molecular switch, according to new research reported at EULAR 2012.
These T regulatory cells are a specialized type of T cell whose job is to control harmful autoimmune responses. Scientists already know that in patients with lupus there are fewer regulatory T cells and that they do not work properly, but the reasons have not been known.
Learn More at LupusResearchInstitute.org
Regulatory B cells in the Spotlight
B cells that regulate the immune system and thereby prevent rather than promote autoimmune diseases were the focus of a EULAR 2012 session on Thursday, June 7th.
In lupus, the B cells of the immune system are usually viewed as the enemy within, pumping out dangerous autoantibodies that attack the body’s own cells, damaging tissues and essential organs such as the kidneys and the brain. But researchers have made the unexpected discovery that B cells can also protect against autoimmune diseases.
Learn More at LupusResearchInstitute.org CLINICAL PRACTICE
New Lupus Nephritis Guidelines Urge Early Biopsy
European patients are set to benefit from new EULAR recommendations on the diagnosis and management of lupus affecting the kidneys. About half of people with lupus will develop kidney complications (lupus nephritis), which can lead to kidney failure in the worst cases. Learn More at LupusResearchInstitute.org The LRI: Closing in on the Cause, Going for the Cure
To make a contribution, visit our website: lupusresearchinstitute.org
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About the LRI
The world’s leading private supporter of innovative research in lupus, the LRI champions scientific risk-taking in the hunt for solutions to this complex and dangerous autoimmune disease.
Lupus Research Institute
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