In a significant stride towards understanding lupus, Stanford Medicine researchers have linked the autoimmune condition to the Epstein-Barr virus, a pathogen present in an overwhelming majority of Americans. Published in Science Translational Medicine last Wednesday, the study suggests a direct correlation between the virus and the way it urges immune cells to attack the body's tissues, as reported by the Stanford Medicine News.
This discovery could lead to profound advancements in treatment, offering hope to approximately 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with the disease that currently has no cure. Patients like Kathleen Ford, a former nurse from Solano County, share the all-too-common narrative of life with lupus, a condition characterized by debilitating symptoms such as significant joint pain and hair loss. According to The Mercury News, Ford described the disease as unpredictable and far from "a fun disease, at all."
William Robinson, MD, PhD, a professor of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford, labeled the findings the most impactful of his career. "We think it applies to 100% of lupus cases," he said, highlighting the near-ubiquity of the virus in adults. Close to 90% of lupus patients are women, and while existing treatments can manage symptoms, for some, lupus can be life-threatening, per the Stanford Medicine News.
Stanford's breakthrough study reveals how the body's B cells, once infected with the Epstein-Barr virus, can multiply the number of immune cells that attack the body it's supposed to protect. The researchers employed a highly precise sequencing system, finding that in lupus patients, the fraction of EBV-infected B cells rises significantly. Robinson told The Mercury News that the "breakthrough" reveals "the key missing link for how EBV causes lupus."
