Cause of Lupus Discovered

Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, damaging joints, skin, muscles, connective tissue and major organs such as the kidneys, brain and heart. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, an estimated 1.5 million Americans have lupus, with nine out of 10 being women. Researchers at Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, say they have identified the root cause of lupus. In research reported in the journal Nature, the scientists identified a molecular defect that promotes the immune response in lupus, as well as a way to reprogram the lupus-causing cells to correct the imbalance in the immune response. Work continues to find a safe and effective way to deliver these molecules to the body for reprogramming.