LRA Researchers Star at ACR/ARP Part 2
Last week we gave you only a glimpse of what scientists funded by the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) shared at 2019 ACR/ARP. So many studies were presented that today we bring you Part 2 of the major discoveries your donations have made possible. Part 3 is yet to come!
How a Protective Protein Blocks Inflammation
Dr. Eric Morand and his team at Monash University in Australia reported his new findings about a possible drug target. The protein, called GILZ, reduces lupus symptoms by blocking the effects of molecules called type I interferons that help drive lupus symptoms.
Not All Harmful Immune Cells Are Alike
With their grant from the LRA, Dr. Timothy Niewold and colleagues at NYU School of Medicine found that there are variations of two types of cells involved in immune system attacks. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells and switched memory B cells may have important roles in the disease and could offer targets for new drugs.
New Source for Harmful Proteins
With their LRA funding, Dr. Keith Elkon and his team at the University of Washington may have found a clue to a long-standing scientific paradox in lupus -- specifically the role of proteins known as complement and whether they are beneficial, harmful, or both.
Similarity Between Inherited Vs. Non-Inherited Lupus
A study led by Dr. Boris Reizis at NYU Langone Medical Center sheds light on how a protein, DNASE1L3, that helps dispose of cellular trash, may contribute to causing lupus. In people with lupus, when the trash isn’t taken out, the immune system attacks, also destroying healthy cells in its path.
“Each of these studies point to potential targets for development of new treatments,” commented Teodora Staeva, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at the Lupus Research Alliance. “We look forward to further study to see which are viable for clinical development.”
From the Lupus Research Alliance, the world’s leading authority in lupus research.
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