Development Of A Safer New Treatment For Systemic Lupus Erythematosus That Preserves B Cell Immunity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$672,008.00
Summary
Lupus is an illness characterized by the body’s immune system attacking the body itself. More than 5 millions of people worldwide suffer from lupus, in particular Indigenous Australians who are 4 times more likely to develop lupus. Current treatments are toxic and/or lack efficacy. In this proposal we use strong new evidence from the laboratory to support the design of a much safer and more effective treatment for lupus that will be validated for future use in patients.
How BANK1 Pathway Defects In B Cells Cause Human Lupus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,316,839.00
Summary
Autoimmune diseases affect 1 in 20 Australians and are incurable. To find effective therapies, we need to understand the genes that cause disease in humans. We have sequenced the entire genome of patients with an autoimmune disease and found several patients carrry two mutations in genes important for activation of B cells and shown these mutations cause disease. We plan to understand how these genes prevent autoimmunity, and to identify the best treatment for patients with these mutations.
I am the leading scientist studying a factor named BAFF and discovered its role in autoimmunity. BAFF inhibitors are effective in late stage clinical trials treating lupus patients. Our new work shows that BAFF has other fascinating roles, in particular the ability to control effects from some microbes capable of activating autoimmune and inflammatory reactions. This new work is leading us to the development of an entirely new generation of therapeutics treating autoimmunity and inflammation.