I am wondering if lupus/UCTD patients are tested in their follow-up appointments about all these recent discoveriesš¤ š§¾
Key cells behind severe kidney damage in lupus identified
ā¢ A research team led by CharitĆ© ā UniversitƤtsmedizin Berlin has identified a small population of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) as key regulators of severe kidney damage in patients with lupus.
ā¢ ILCs trigger an avalanche of effects that cause harmful kidney inflammation, also known as lupus nephritis.
ā¢ The research, published in "Nature," challenges the conventional wisdom that autoantibodies are primarily responsible for lupus nephritis.
ā¢ The team found that a subgroup of ILCs with a receptor called NKp46 must be present and activated to cause lupus nephritis.
ā¢ Blocking NKp46 or GM-CSF, a protein produced by ILCs, reduced kidney tissue damage in mice, suggesting new antibody therapies for patients with severe forms of lupus.