Cause of Lupus Discovered
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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.
