DThe autoimmune disease lupus was promoted by the television series Dr. House and the doctor of the same name, according to whose principle behind mysterious symptoms never put lupus. In fact, systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE for short, is very rare, but the disease means great suffering for those affected: severe organ damage, skin problems and medication with strong side effects. Healing is not yet possible. A new type of immunotherapy, which actually comes from the field of cancer therapy, has now been successfully tested on five patients.
In people suffering from the disease, also known simply as lupus, the immune system is overactive. Some memory B cells, which doctors count as white blood cells, are misdirected and produce antibodies against the body’s own structures. These autoantibodies are directed against components of your own DNA. If cells break down, for example due to inflammation or UV radiation, the autoantibodies increase. This is why sunbathing in SLE patients often triggers flare-ups; the disease is not linear.