Researchers have successfully tested a new nontoxic therapy that could put lupus into remission permanently.
The therapy was able to suppress the autoimmune disease in the blood of those suffering from lupus, a Northwestern University news release reported.
The breakthrough is a step in the right direction towards creating an effective therapy for the treatment of lupus that does not involve toxic drugs.
Lupus is a chronic disease that causes the body to attack itself by releasing autoantibodies that target healthy tissue. This can cause pain and tissue damage, even in the most vital of organs. About five million people are believed to suffer from lupus globally.
Past studies have shown this new non-toxic therapy works in mice prone to lupus, but this is the first time it has been tested in humans.
The team analyzed 30 lupus patients, 20 of which were in remission. Fifteen healthy patients were also included in the study and their blood was cultured with "special peptides."
"We found that the peptides could not only generate regulatory T cells, but also that they block and reduce autoantibody production to almost baseline levels in the blood cultures from people with active Lupus," Syamal Datta, M.D., senior author of the study, said. "This approach shows that the peptides have the potential to work like a vaccine in the human body, to boost the regulatory immune system of those with Lupus, fight autoimmune antibodies and keep the disease in remission."
Currently, Steroids and Cytoxan are commonly used to treat lupus, both of these therapies have toxic effects even at the lowest doses. They can harm fertility and leave the body susceptible to infection. They also cannot be administered indefinitely.
"This nontoxic therapy works like a vaccine in that the peptides are recognized by the bodies of almost every individual we have seen," Datta said. "It can be given to both subjects with and without lupus and boost their regulatory response with no side effects. We don't have to design something specifically for an unusual person. It works in everybody."
"It is our hope that the next step is a phase one clinical trial in humans to show the efficacy of the peptide therapy in patients with lupus," Datta said. "The key is to find an industry partner that has experience in these kind of therapies so that we can move forward."
