Preclinical study suggests organ-transplant drug may aid in lupus fightAugust 16, 2007A compound related to a drug used in humans to prevent organ-transplant rejection attacks a key biochemical process in the faulty immune cells of lupus-prone mice, suggesting a possible new approach to combating the disease, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found. "We found that an analog of rapamycin is very effective in improving all aspects of the disease in lupus-prone mice," said Dr. Chandra Mohan, professor of internal medicine and senior author of a study appearing in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. "Our next step will be to see if the same biochemical pathways exist in humans. If they do, this research and treatment could prove very significant." Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissues. In a normal immune system, foreign intruders are recognized by special immune cells called B-cells, which produce antibodies. In patients with lupus, however, the antibodies created by the B-cells start to attack the body itself.
Certain genetic strains of mice are prone to developing lupus. In the current study, a research team led by Dr. Mohan discovered that an analog of rapamycin shuts down specific biochemical processes in the B-cells of the mice. Rapamycin has been used in humans to prevent organ transplant rejection and for treating cancer. The analog of rapamycin halted production of antibodies and the development of lupus in all the strains of lupus-prone mice, as well as improved symptoms, despite each animal having a different genetic makeup that led to the disease. "Though lupus in different mouse models may originate from different genetic triggers, those triggers ultimately funnel through a shared series of biochemical pathways that lead to the disease," Dr. Mohan said. "These shared biochemical pathways represent an attractive target for future therapeutic intervention in lupus patients." In humans, lupus can cause life-threatening damage to the kidneys, lungs, heart, central nervous system, joints, blood vessels and skin. It can be associated with severe fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, hair loss and neurological problems. Although treatable symptomatically, there is currently no cure for the disease, which affects up to 1 million people in the U.S. Other UT Southwestern researchers involved with the study were Dr. Tianfu Wu, assistant instructor of immunology; Xiangmei Qin, research assistant in immunology; Zoran Kurepa, immunology resident; Kirthi Raman Kumar, postdoctoral trainee in internal medicine; Dr. Kui Liu, instructor of internal medicine; Hasna Kanta, research assistant in internal medicine; Dr. Xin J. Zhou, professor of pathology; Dr. Anne Satterthwaite, assistant professor of immunology; and Dr. Laurie Davis, associate professor of immunology. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Alliance for Lupus Research. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Lupus Current Events and Lupus News Articles Potential autoimmunity-inducing cells found in healthy adults It's not just patients with autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that have self-attacking immune cells-healthy people have them too, according to a new report in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Penn Scientists Show How Body Determines Optimal Amount of Germ-Fighting B Cells Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine can now explain how the body determines whether there are enough mature B-cells in the blood stream at any one time. These are the cells that produce antibodies against germs to fight infections. A reversal of thinking: How women with lupus can increase chance for healthy pregnancies In the not so distant past, women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease, were advised not to have children, and if they became pregnant, to have therapeutic abortions to prevent severe flares of their lupus. Green tea may delay onset of type 1 diabetes A powerful antioxidant in green tea may prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. Statins may prevent miscarriages Hospital for Special Surgery researchers have found that statins may be able to prevent miscarriages in women who are suffering from pregnancy complications caused by antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), according to a study in mice. Hodgkin lymphoma -- new characteristics discovered Researchers are still discovering new characteristics of Hodgkin lymphoma, a common form of cancer of the lymphatic system. The malignant cells are derived from white blood cells (B cells), but have lost a considerable part of the B cell-specific gene expression pattern. Wistar researchers invigorate 'exhausted' immune cells In battles against chronic infections, the body's key immune cells often become exhausted and ineffective. Researchers at The Wistar Institute have found a way to restore vigor to these killer T cells by blocking a key receptor on their surface, findings that may advance the development of new therapies for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and cancer. Key protein molecule linked to diverse human chronic inflammatory diseases Liwu Li, associate professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech, has revealed a common connection between the cellular innate immunity network and human chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, Type 2 Diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. Accumulated bits of a cell's own DNA can trigger autoimmune disease A security system wired within every cell to detect the presence of rogue viral DNA can sometimes go awry, triggering an autoimmune response to single-stranded bits of the cell's own DNA, according to a report in the August 22nd issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication. UT Pathologists Believe They Have Pinpointed Achilles Heel of HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston believe they have uncovered the Achilles heel in the armor of the virus that continues to kill millions. More Lupus Current Events and Lupus News Articles |
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