Australian discovery of lupus-causing gene paves way for new treatments

CANBERRA - Australian researchers have discovered the gene that causes lupus, paving the way for new treatments for the life-threatening disease.

In a study published on Thursday, a team from the Australian National University (ANU) identified a new gene called TLR7 which, in its mutated form, can become aggressive and cause lupus, an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system attacks healthy cells.

Vicki Athanasopoulos, senior author of the study from the ANU John Curtin School of Medical Research, said the discovery could lead to new and more effective treatments for lupus without the side-effects associated with existing treatments.

"This is the first time scientists have shown a genetic variation of the TLR7 gene to be a driver of autoimmune disease," Athanasopoulos said in a media release.

"This raises the exciting possibility of developing new drugs targeting TLR7, potentially revolutionizing treatments for lupus."

There is currently no cure for lupus, which afflicts more than five million people around the world, most of whom are women.

Symptoms of the disease include inflammation of joints and organs, rashes and fatigue. In extreme cases it can be fatal.

Researchers are now working with pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs to actively target the TLR7 gene.

"It has been a huge challenge to find effective treatments for lupus; current treatments are predominantly immune-suppressors, which work by dialling down the immune system to alleviate symptoms," senior author Carola Vinuesa said.

"Although there may only be a small number of people with lupus who have mutant variants of TLR7, the fact that we have confirmed gain-of-TLR7 function to be a cause of lupus means we can now start to search for new treatments." - XINHUA