|
Lupus Research News
 Predicting
Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a condition that may occur during pregnancy, with a
four-fold increased risk in lupus patients. It is characterized by high
blood pressure and large losses of protein in the urine. This is
dangerous for both the mother and the baby. There is no good way to stop
preeclampsia other than delivering the baby as soon as possible, and no
guaranteed way to prevent it, so women at high risk have to be monitored
closely in the last trimester of pregnancy. Risk factors for
preeclampsia include prior kidney disease and chronic hypertension.
Read More >>
Olés
for Omega-3s Omega-3
polyunsaturated oils found in fish have been proven to help lower risk
for heart disease. This could be relevant to lupus since there is a
known increased risk for heart disease in people with lupus.
Read More >>
Improving
Outcomes of Lupus Pregnancies
Although most women with lupus will have
successful pregnancies, serious complications can occur in some cases,
perhaps none more devastating than the loss of the baby. In fact, some
women with lupus have consecutive miscarriages, a condition known as
recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Immunglobulins (Ig) are
antibody proteins that circulate in the blood. Intravenous
immunoglobulin infusion (IVIg) is a medical treatment in which
immunoglobulin is administered intravenously. It has been approved as a
treatment for several autoimmune diseases, and has been used as a
treatment for lupus, as well as for high-risk pregnancies.
Read More >>
Lupus
Foundation of America Launches the Center for Clinical Trials Education
The Lupus Foundation of
America (LFA) has announced the launch of the Center for Clinical Trials
Education (CCTE), a resource for people interested in learning about and
joining lupus clinical trials. The initial programs of the CCTE include
a Website and a series of grassroots community education programs on
clinical research offered through the LFA’s network of 38 chapters
around the country.
Read More >>
Designate
the LFA (#10566) Through the Combined Federal Campaign
Federal and postal employees and
military personnel can donate to the LFA through the Combined Federal
Campaign (CFC). Our CFC agency code has changed.
Designate agency #10566. Look for the LFA within the
Community Health Charities federation of your CFC guidebook.
Appropriations
Increase for National Lupus Patient Registry
The Omnibus Appropriations Bill which funds the federal government for
2008 included funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) to continue and expand the National Lupus Patient Registry as part
of a broader national epidemiological study on lupus. The Registry will
provide data for the first ever comprehensive national study to
determine the true incidence and prevalence of lupus in the United
States, as well as measure the burden of the disease.
Food
and Drug Administration: Off-Label Issues
On
April 21, 2008, the LFA submitted comments to the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) draft notice regarding Good Reprint Practices for
the Distribution of Medical Journal Articles and Medical or Scientific
Reference Publications on Unapproved New Uses of Approved Drugs and
Approved or Cleared Medical Devices. The LFA urged the FDA to
loosen the restrictions regarding the dissemination of peer-reviewed,
truthful and non-misleading medical journal articles and medical or
scientific reference publications regarding off-label use of approved
medications. It is critically important that physicians are aware of all
safe and effective peer-reviewed treatments for lupus.
View a copy of the LFA’s comments.
Illinois
State Legislation
On May 27, 2008, the LFA Illinois Chapter was successful in getting
House Resolution 1185 adopted. HR 1185 declares the month of May as
Lupus Awareness Month.
Visit the Illinois General Assembly to read the full bill.
Georgia
State Legislation
The LFA
Georgia Chapter held a state Advocacy Day on March 5, 2008. They had
State Senator David Adelman introduce a resolution (SR765)
declaring March 5, 2008, as "Lupus Awareness Day." SR 765 was read and
adopted.
H.R.
6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, Becomes
Law
The Lupus Foundation of America would like to thank you for all of your
phone calls and letters to the President and Congress. President Bush
vetoed H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers
Act before noon on Tuesday, July 15th. However, thanks to all of your
efforts, the House of Representatives and Senate voted later Tuesday
afternoon to override the President’s veto. The House voted 383-41 and
the Senate later voted 70-26. H.R. 6331 now becomes law! This bill
is important to people with lupus because it clarifies off-label drug
usage, protects special classes of prescription drugs, and provides
coverage of the benzodiazepines and barbiturates which are currently
excluded under Medicare Part D. The bill also provides other beneficiary
protections.
Learn more about Medicare Part D
Assessing the risk factors for heart
disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a serious condition characterized by
the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque along the inside walls of
arteries that supply blood to the heart. This build-up of plaque is
known as atherosclerosis, and is commonly referred to as “hardening of
the arteries.” People with lupus may have additional risks for
developing premature atherosclerosis, either from inflammation in the
blood vessels or as a side effect of some of the medications they may
take.
Read More >>
Lupus as a risk factor for heart
disease
People with lupus have risks for coronary heart disease (CHD), in part
because they exhibit some of the "traditional" risk factors that other
patients share and also possibly as a result of lupus disease activity
and the medications used to treat it. These risks may sometimes be hard
to separate out, since lupus inflammation and/or treatments may have
direct or indirect effects on traditional risk factors.
Read More >>
Vitamin D deficiency and heart disease
Vitamin D is an essential element that promotes bone growth, contributes
to the immune system, and plays a role in a number of other cellular
functions. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with
osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and cardiovascular
disease -- and it is estimated that one-third to one-half of all
otherwise healthy middle-aged or elderly people have a vitamin D
deficiency.
Read More >>
Detecting damage to arterial walls
People with lupus have an increased risk for developing atherosclerosis,
commonly referred to as “hardening of the arteries.” As the disease
progresses, the walls of the arteries -- called the intima media --
thicken, and the passage through which the blood flows narrows as fatty
plaque deposits build up along the walls of the arteries.
Read More >>
|
Lupus
More Severe In Patients With Southern European Ancestry
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with a higher
percentage of ancestry from southern Europe have more severe
disease manifestations, according to new research presented at
EULAR 2008, the Annual Congress of the European League Against
Rheumatism in Paris, France. |
12
June 2008 |
|
Eighty
International Lupus Experts Meet To Address Gaps In Clinical
Research To Speed Approval Of New Treatments
Research scientists and physicians - including scientific
thought leaders from university centers, pharmaceutical and
biotechnology industries, the National Institutes of Health,
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and other government agencies
- will address two important gaps impeding approval of new
treatments for the autoimmune disease lupus during the Lupus
Foundation of America's (LFA) 2nd International Flare Conference
June 5 and 6 in suburban Washington, DC. |
06
June 2008 |
|
ZymoGenetics
And Merck Serono Initiate Second Phase 2/3 Clinical Study Of
Atacicept In Lupus
ZymoGenetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZGEN) announced that its partner
Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany,
initiated a Phase 2/3 trial of atacicept in patients with
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). |
06
June 2008 |
|
Lupus
May Be Caused By Abnormal 'Editing' Of Gene Messages
Researchers at Wake Forest University have uncovered evidence
that the abnormal "editing" of gene messages in a type of white
blood cell may be behind the development of lupus. Scientists
hope the finding will lead to earlier diagnosis, a way to
monitor patients' response to therapy and possibly a new way to
treat the disease. |
20
May 2008 |
|
Better
Treatment For Autoimmune Diseases Could Result From Sugar
Linkage
Researchers at the University of New Hampshire Glycomics Center
have helped identify a specific carbohydrate structure that
confers anti-inflammatory activity to a glycoprotein antibody
that could lead to improved treatment of autoimmune diseases
like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. |
15
May 2008 |
|
Two
Groundbreaking Scientists Share America's Largest Medicine Prize
America's largest prize for work in medicine, amounting to half
a million dollars, is shared this year by two scientists,
Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California, San
Francisco and Joan Streitz of Yale University, for their
groundbreaking work in molecular research that opens up
development of new and effective treatments for a range of
diseases. |
03
May 2008 |
Rituxan
Results, Although Disappointing, Can Help Create Better Drugs and Build
Better Trials for Lupus
Learnings
from landmark study across multiple organ systems will inform progress
in this complex autoimmune disease.
Is Hormone Replacement Therapy During
Menopause Safe for Women with Lupus? -
Data from two very large studies -- the HERS trial (for Heart and
Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study) and the Women’s Health Initiative
-- have raised questions about the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
for women during menopause; those studies seemed to show that HRT
increases a woman’s risk for heart disease. This is of even greater
concern for women with lupus, because lupus puts women at higher risk
for heart disease.
Read More >>
New Ways to Detect Lupus Nephritis? -
Kidney disease is diagnosed through a series of laboratory tests, and
usually confirmed through biopsy. Biopsy -- in which kidney tissue is
removed via insertion of a needle through the person’s back and then
examined under a microscope -- is the most accurate way to discover the
amount of damage that has occurred from lupus disease activity. However
this procedure, which typically takes place in a hospital, can be
expensive, can have side effects, and would only be done after kidney
disease is suspected. For these reasons, less invasive and less
expensive ways to routinely measure inflammation in the kidneys and
disease progression would be of great benefit.
Read More >>
More Promising News About Tacrolimus -
Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressant drug that helps control inflammation.
It was originally developed and approved to help prevent rejection of
the new organ in transplant patients, but in recent years tacrolimus has
been used to treat adults with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The
researchers wanted to know if tacrolimus could be used safely to control
lupus nephritis in pediatric-onset lupus patients with long-standing
disease.
Read More >>
|
Lupus
Foundation Of America Seeks Funding Proposals For Research
Studies On Childhood Lupus, Nervous System Involvement, And More
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is seeking proposals for
up to $1.5 million in grant funding for basic, clinical, or
translational research studies on lupus, an unpredictable and
potentially fatal autoimmune disease. |
21
Apr 2008 |
|
$6.8M
Awarded To Researchers Worldwide By The Alliance For Lupus
Research
The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) recently announced that it
will award nearly $7 million to researchers around the world.
"The ALR is very proud to announce, during National Minority
Health Month, that with our 2008 class of grantees the ALR has
funded more than 100 research projects, and committed more than
$50 million to research, since our founding in 1999," says ALR
President Barbara Boyts. |
21
Apr 2008 |
Are
Increased Levels of Nitric Oxide a Sign of Kidney Damage in
Lupus?
Lupus disease activity often occurs without any apparent signs
or symptoms. This is especially true when lupus affects the
kidneys, which is known as lupus nephritis. It is even possible
for lupus to cause significant kidney damage even before a
patient is diagnosed. Though there may be no visible symptoms,
there are chemical changes occurring in the cells and tissues
that can be measured. Therefore, a major emphasis among lupus
researchers is to find ways to tell if simple laboratory tests
can be used to detect otherwise silent lupus disease activity. A
laboratory test that can be used in this way is called a
biomarker. One potential biomarker that is being investigated is
nitric oxide (chemical symbol, NO), since it is one of the
chemicals involved in the body’s immune response.
Read more >>
A
Clue to Congenital Heart Block
Neonatal lupus is a condition that can occur when anti-SSA/Ro
antibodies cross the placenta in pregnancy from the mother to
her developing baby. Babies born to women who are positive for
anti-SSA/Ro antibodies (even those who do not have lupus) are at
greater risk for neonatal lupus, although this remains rare. A
number of symptoms are seen in infants who are born with
neonatal lupus, most commonly skin rashes or liver involvement,
which go away over time as the infant’s own immune system
develops, and the mothers antibodies are cleared from the baby’s
system. Even more rarely, however, there is a potentially
life-threatening heart condition that these babies can be born
with, called congenital heart block (CHB).
Read More >>
Why
Certain Patients Don’t Respond to Steroids: One Possible
Explanation
Steroid medications are often prescribed for people with lupus
or other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Although they have many undesirable side effects, steroids work
quickly and very well to control lupus. However, for a small
percentage of lupus patients, steroids don’t provide relief;
these patients are said to be “steroid resistant” (SR), and must
take other medicines, most of which do not respond as rapidly to
treat their disease flares.
Read More >>
2008
Gina Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program
The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. is pleased to announce
that Gina Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowships will be
available for the summer of 2008. The purpose of these awards is
to foster an interest among young researchers in systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE) through support of basic, clinical, or
psychosocial research under the supervision of an established
investigator. Undergraduate, graduate, and medical students are
eligible to apply, however, preference is given to students with
a college degree.
Read More >>
Dr.
Elliott Sigal to Receive Corporate Leadership in Lupus Award at
LFA's 5th Annual Awards Gala
On Wednesday, May 7, 2008, Dr. Elliott Sigal will receive the
Corporate Leadership in Lupus Award at LFA's 5th Annual Awards
Gala, to be held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in downtown
Washington, DC. Dr. Sigal is the President, Research &
Development; Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer,
for Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Read More >>
Lupus
Advocates Visit Capitol Hill To Ask for Increased Funding for
Lupus Research
On Tuesday, March 11, 2008, more than 300 individuals with
lupus, their families, and health professionals urged Members of
Congress to increase government funding for lupus medical
research and enact legislation that will greatly expand federal
efforts on lupus. The advocates, representing 37 states,
participated in the 10th Annual LFA Advocacy Day.
Read More >> |
News
From The Journal Of Clinical Investigation March 13, 2008
A new road to the autoantibodies that characterize lupusSystemic
lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus, is a chronic
autoimmune disease characterized by the inflammatory destruction
of many organs, including the skin, joints, and kidneys. |
14 Mar 2008 |
Lupus
- Working Together For A Cure
On Tuesday, March 4th, advocates for the Alliance for Lupus
Research (ALR), on behalf of the 1.4 million Americans with
lupus, described their personal experiences with the disease to
their Members of Congress. |
11 Mar 2008 |
Child's
Play - Lupus Now Magazine Explores Activities For Children With
Lupus
Learning that your child has a chronic illness is never easy,
especially when it's the unpredictable and potentially fatal
autoimmune disease lupus. When it comes to physical activities
for children, most parents prefer to err on the side of caution
- but medical experts say that may be a mistake. |
06 Mar 2008 |
Kidneys
Affected In 40 Percent Of People With Lupus
It is estimated that as many as 40 percent of all people with
the autoimmune disease lupus, and as many as two-thirds of all
children with lupus, will develop kidney complications that
require medical evaluation and treatment. |
06 Mar 2008 |
Autoantibodies
And Neuropsychiatric Events In Lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus, can
affect nearly any part of the body, including the joints, skin,
kidneys, heart, nervous system, and brain. Along with joint
pain, muscle pain, unexplained fever, extreme fatigue, and skin
rashes, neurologic and psychiatric events often accompany this
autoimmune disease. |
29 Feb 2008 |
Cell
Signaling Glitch Contributes To Lupus Progression
Immune cells that would normally die in healthy people
accumulate in bodies of patients who have lupus and contribute
to the disease, according to new Saint Louis University research
published in the Feb. |
15 Feb 2008 |
LFA
Unveils New Lupus Education Materials
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is proud to unveil
its new line of updated and revised lupus education materials.
Five new booklets, eleven fact sheets and five quick guides
provide the latest medically sound information about lupus
diagnosis and treatment. |
07 Feb 2008 |
Additional
Research
News Articles can be found @
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newssearch.php?keywords=lupus
|
