Lupus generally has no cure. Those who suffer from the disease might have treatment to control symptoms, but the disease itself has no known cure. A new research offers hope, as an alternative lupus treatment has a good chance for outcome.
Lupus treatment so far has been elusive. For the past 50 years, only one new medication has been made for it. A research though might give new hope, as it has identified a mechanism about lupus that has not previously been known. This mechanism involves the immune system, and with it a new therapy could be made for the disease.
Lupus is a disease that mainly involves the immune system. For those who have the disease, the body cannot tell what the invaders are from more benign ones. The immune system then begins to attack itself. Cells, tissues and organs are attacked by the immune system that has been confused.
Two researchers from University of Vermont have found a protein that is activated in lupus patients. Iwona Buskeiwicz, Ph.D. and Andreas Koenig, Ph.D. are assistant professors of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. They have discovered that the protein is being activated not by bacteria or virus. Oxidative stress in cells has been causing it.
This stress in cells has been making them produce interferon even without a viral infection in lupus patients. Environmental stress might be the reason why interferon is being created, according to Science Daily. By having an anti-oxidant introduced, the effects of interferon production could be reduced.
Buskeiwicz and Koenig has studied that antioxidants could be effective in lessening the production of interferon. A potential therapy based on antioxidants would be the next research that would be done, as Eureka Alert reports. The next stage would find out how patients would be before and after antioxidants are administered.
Lupus treatment might find hope soon. An alternative lupus treatment has good chance for an outcome. Fish oil has been found to be good for asthma.
