Link Between Uranium Exposure And Increased Lupus Rate

People living near a former uranium ore processing facility in Ohio are experiencing a higher than average rate of lupus, according a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. more...

New hope for lupus patients

A clinical trial with 149 patients suffering from the very disabling autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus, has shown the effectiveness of a synthetic peptide developed by a team of researchers led by CNRS biologist Slyviane Muller at the Institut de Biologie Moleculaire (IBMC) in Strasbourg, France. The peptide, known as P140/LupuzorTM, is well tolerated by patients and leads to regression of the disease. Under the CNRS patent, ImmuPharma-France, which funded the trial, has an exclusive license to use the peptide. Now the final phase of clinical tests should soon confirm these results and contribute to the development of a drug without the side effects of existing treatments, which use cortico-steroids and immunosuppressants. These results are published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. more...

S.L.E. Lupus Foundation “Turns Lupus Research Upside Down” at Gala 2012

More than 700 members of New York City’s philanthropic, government, business and health care communities joined forces tonight as the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation hosted its Gala 2012 to Turn Lupus Research Upside Down. Held at The American Museum of Natural History, the world’s largest gathering for lupus was hosted by Willie Geist, new co-host of NBC’s Today Show and MSNBC’s Morning Joe. The night raised $2.5 million to turn the tables on lupus with novel innovative research that is producing the pivotal discoveries to improve treatments and uncovering the root causes of lupus that can lead to a cure. more...

The Impact Of Rheumatoid Arthritis And Lupus On Joint Replacement Surgery Outcomes

Two new studies by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have overturned common beliefs about joint replacement in patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).In one study, researchers demonstrated that RA patients who undergo a knee replacement can expect outcomes that are similar to individuals undergoing the operation for osteoarthritis. more...

Alliance For Lupus Research And Pfizer’s Centers For Therapeutic Innovation Announce Novel Research Collaboration With Leading Academic Medical Centers

Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) and Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) are partnering to discover new therapies for patients living with lupus. As part of this first-of-its-kind collaboration in lupus, ALR and CTI will co-fund novel translational research projects driven by leading academic medical centers within the CTI network. more...

New anti-interferon alpha therapy for lupus nabs $5.8M

The approval of Human Genome Sciences/GlaxoSmithKline’s Benlysta last year ended a drought of new drug approvals for the autoimmune disease lupus that had lasted more than half a century. A lengthy pipeline of drugs is hoping to follow suit, including a preclinical biologic compound from a University of Washington spinoff that is hoping to progress to clinical trials next year. Resolve Therapeutics has just completed a $5.8 million series B, following up a $2 million series A done in 2011. The cash came from previous investors New Science Ventures and Easton Capital, and new investor WRF Capital, the venture investment arm of the Washington Research Foundation. more...

Lupus Increases Risk For Preeclampsia In Pregnancy

New research reports that women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a two-fold increase in risk of preeclampsia - a dangerous condition in which pregnant women develop high blood pressure (hypertension) and protein in their urine (proteinuria) after 20 weeks of gestation. more...