WHAT IS
LUPUS?
TYPES
OF LUPUS
LUPUS
SYMPTOMS?
LUPUS
DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS
SIGNS OF LUPUS
WHAT IS A FLARE?
LUPUS
TREATMENTS?
PREVENTING
A FLARE
SCIENCE MEANS PROGRESS
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WELCOME TO
LUPUS-TREATMENTS.ORG!
SCIENCE MEANS PROGRESS
Scientists are working to
find out what causes lupus and how it can best be treated. Here are some
of the questions they are trying to answer:
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Who
gets lupus and why?
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Why
are women more likely to get lupus than men?
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Why
are there more cases of lupus among certain racial and ethnic
groups?
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What
goes wrong in the immune system and why?
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What
genes play a role in lupus?
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How
can we fix an immune system that isn’t working well?
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How
can lupus symptoms best be treated?
The National Institutes of
Health (NIH) supports research on health and disease. The National
Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
supports research on the bones, joints, muscles, connective tissue, and
skin. These are the parts of the body that can be affected by lupus.
Research supported by NIAMS is looking at these issues:
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Certain
genes make some people more likely to have serious complications,
such as kidney disease. NIAMS researchers have found a gene linked
to a higher risk of lupus kidney disease in African Americans.
Changes in this gene keep the immune system from removing harmful
germ-fighters from the body after they’ve done their job. Other
genes may also play a role.
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Lupus
is more common in women than in men. Researchers are looking into
the role of hormones and other male-female differences.
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One
NIAMS project is testing a new drug that scientists hope will have
milder side effects than standard treatments. Another study is
testing a combination of two medicines. One is a standard drug and
the other is a new drug. Scientists hope that the combination will
be more effective and cause fewer side effects.
You can find more information about lupus at the
Rosacea-Ltd III web
site.
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