In individuals with lupus, the immune system turns against the body. The disease mainly affects women who, sometimes in their teens and twenties, begin to suffer from fever, renal failure, hair loss, seizures, and joint pain. Seventy percent of lupus patients have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects the whole body, including the organs and skin, and can be fatal if left untreated.
Some people may be more susceptible to lupus based on their genetics, but what ultimately triggers the disease is unknown. New work published today (October 28) in Science Immunology offers one possible answer, finding that skin microbes can induce full-blown, systemic lupus in mice.
“The paper is really beautiful. It’s very well done and very well controlled,” says Michelle Kahlenberg, a rheumatologist and researcher at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the work.
Gut microbes likely also play a role in disease progression, with ...
