August 18, 2020 A newly published study conducted by many of the research investigators who receive grant support from the Lupus Research Alliance found that older people with lupus may be able to discontinue their use of hydroxychloroquine. Investigators conducted this study because prolonged use of the drug can cause side effects like blurred vision […] READ MORE
Videotape of 8.24.20 Learn from Lupus Zoom Webcast Ensuring the clinical trial process is accommodating for participants has always been the goal. However, COVID-19 has forced industry, research organizations, doctors, and patients to think twice about the process and its impact on high-risk populations including people with lupus who are immunocompromised. In light of COVID-19, […] READ MORE
August 17, 2020 In a new study published in the journal Immunity, Lupus Research Alliance-funded researcher Dr. Boris Reizis and his colleagues identified conditions under which immune cells called B cells begin to attack healthy genetic material (DNA). Dr. Reizis’ findings highlight the potential of drugs such as anifrolumab and BIIB-059 as potential treatments for […] READ MORE
August 13, 2020 The Lupus Research Alliance is proud to congratulate one of our funded researchers, Lindsey A. Criswell, MD, MPH, DSc, on her new appointment as Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Currently Vice Chancellor of Research at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Criswell has […] READ MORE
August 13, 2020 The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) is encouraged by a promising animal study in the New England Journal of Medicine co-authored by Robert Seder, MD, Chief of the Cellular Immunology Section in the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) […] READ MORE
Updated July 15, 2021 The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) today announced a bold Strategic Plan for Research (Strategic Plan) that identifies core issues and sets new priorities to transform lupus research, accelerate breakthrough treatments and ultimately, find a cure through the power of precision medicine. The Strategic Plan is informed by years of funded research […] READ MORE
August, 2020 A new study led by Dr. Roberto Caricchio, Dr. Stefania Gallucci and Dr. Cagla Tukel, funded by the Lupus Research Alliance, has shown that lupus flares are associated with high levels of antibodies against a specific bacterial protein, called curli. Published in Arthritis and Rheumatology, the study also showed that high levels of […] READ MORE
August 6, 2020 Christian Lood, PhD, at the University of Washington, has developed a new method to assess lupus disease severity. It relies on measuring immune complexes, which are the substances that form when antibodies recognize and attach to a particular target in the body. In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases, these […] READ MORE
July 31, 2020 In early July we alerted you that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Defense Appropriations Bill was publicly announced with $10 million appropriated for the Lupus Research Program at the Department of Defense. We are thrilled to announce that the House of Representatives today passed this Bill! The many, many phone calls and […] READ MORE
July 27, 2020 The Lupus Research Alliance congratulates 2018 Lupus Insight Prize recipient Betty Diamond, MD and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research on being awarded $15 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease to study brain dysfunction linked to lupus. Dr. Diamond will use the five-year grant to study a receptor […] READ MORE
July 27, 2020 A new international study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that belimumab (Benlysta) was safe and effective when given intravenously to children. In this Phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study, 93 patients 5-17 years of age received standard therapy plus either placebo or belimumab. As measured by commonly used tools, […] READ MORE
We can’t imagine November without all of you, so we reimagined our annual gala celebration—online. Using the very latest technology, the Lupus Research Alliance will host an unparalleled virtual event featuring inspirational speakers, star-studded performances, surprise celebrity guests, and recognition of the extraordinary contributions of Jenny and Spencer Zwick of Solamere Capital and the LRA […] READ MORE
