Scientists from Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital say they’ve discovered the cause of lupus and a possible cure. study Published Wednesday, “We have identified an underlying imbalance in the immune response in lupus patients and have identified specific mediators that can correct this imbalance and attenuate the pathological autoimmune response,” said Dr. Deepak Rao, one of the study authors. Northwestern Medicine News CenterAn estimated 5 million people worldwide have lupus, 1.5 million of whom live in the United States. Lupus Foundation of America“So far, all treatments for lupus are blunt, broad-spectrum immunosuppression,” said co-author Jaehyuk Choi. “By identifying the cause of the disease, we’ve discovered a potential treatment without the side effects of current treatments.” Northwestern researchers have identified the cells that cause lupus, and may be able to target them to reverse the disease, Choi said. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that weakens the body’s ability to fight infection.
