Scientists say they finally found the cause of lupus, but how realistic is their discovery, and what does it mean for treatment?
Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease that can cause the immune system to fatally attack healthy organs, such as the kidneys, skin, and heart (1). This disease affects 1.5 million Americans, and women are nine times more likely to develop lupus than men (2). Scientists have struggled for years to find the exact cause of lupus, but recent medical breakthroughs may help finally find the reason.
Lupus causes the immune system to attack otherwise healthy organs, such as the skin, and can result in a butterfly rash.
A Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital study recently discovered that people with lupus have an underlying issue with T cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system remove bacteria to keep the body healthy (2, 3). By comparing 19 blood samples from people with lupus to those without, it was discovered “that people with lupus have too much of a particular T cell associated with damage in healthy cells and too little of another T cell associated with repair” (4). This imbalance is caused by a protein called interferon. Interferon defends the body from pathogens, but too much can block the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a second protein that regulates the immune response to bacteria and the environment (4). Blocking the AHR receptor significantly slows the production of repairing T cells and can cause the body to produce excessively damaging T cells related to damage (4, 5).
According to Northwestern, in an attempt to finally cure the complicated autoimmune disease, researchers “returned the AHR-activating molecules to blood samples from lupus patients” (2). This treatment transformed some dangerous cells into ones that promote healing, reversing some of the damage caused by lupus. This was much more effective than other current treatments. Because scientists did not previously know what caused lupus, treatments were used to diminish flare-ups instead of targeting the root cause. One of the current treatments is steroids, which can have highly toxic side effects, such as organ failure and an increased accumulation of organ damage over time (6). Steroids can also interfere with hormones and cause bone-thinning, heart attacks, and acceleration of cataract development (6). While scientists do not know about the side effects of their newly discovered lupus treatment, they know that trying to reverse the root cause of lupus is much more effective than just reducing flare-ups.
While many agree and support the recent discoveries, some scientists think others are getting ahead of themselves. One such scientist is Dr. Jill Buyon, director of the Division of Rheumatology and the Lupus Center at NYU. She says that “the theory would need to be tested in a larger sample of people” to make accurate conclusions (4). She also feels that if the theory is correct and doctors have found the root cause of lupus, it is unlikely that a single drug will work for everybody (4).
Although the recently discovered root cause of lupus may be somewhat controversial, scientists agree that finding the cause and effective treatment of the intricate autoimmune disease has been long and challenging, and the recent breakthrough is a step in the right direction.
Bibliography:
- Amenabar, T., Bever, L., & Sima, R. (2024, July 12). What causes lupus? A new study reveals potential treatment options. Washington Post; The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/07/12/lupus-cause-treatment-research/
- Scientists discover a cause of lupus and a possible way to reverse it. (2024). Northwestern.edu; Northwestern Now. https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2024/july/lupus-immune-response-reversal/
- Miller, K. (2024, July 12). What Causes Lupus? A New Study Points To This Genetic Abnormality. Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a61581208/lupus-cause-breakthrough-northwestern/
- Bendix, A. (2024, July 10). Scientists say they have identified a root cause of lupus. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/scientists-say-identified-root-cause-lupus-rcna160862
- Cause found for lupus, which might lead to cure. (2024, July 10). Cosmos. https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/medicine/lupus-cause-treatment/
- Bringing treatments for lupus into 21st century. (2024, September 29). Cosmos. https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/modern-treatments-for-lupus/