Publications
Find coverage of the latest original articles on Lupus, focusing on those with data on therapeutic interventions and those that have clinical impact.
March 2025
Evolution and trajectory of B-cell targeted therapies in rheumatic diseases
Lancet Rheumatol, 2025. Epub ahead of print
Carter et al. review the clinical and mechanistic development of B-cell targeted therapies over the last two decades in autoimmune rheumatic diseases. B-cell depletion depth, repopulation dynamics, and immunogenicity determine long-term efficacy and inform the rationale for emerging
dual-targeted approaches, particularly in systemic lupus erythematosus where belimumab and rituximab combinations show potential to mitigate relapse driven by BAFF.
October 2024
Safety, pharmacokinetics, biomarker response and efficacy of E6742: a dual antagonist of Toll-like receptors 7 and 8, in a first-in-patient, randomised, double-blind, phase I/II study in systemic lupus erythematosus
RMD Open 2024;10:e004701 DOI 10.1136/rmdopen-2024-004701
Tanaka et al. conducted a phase I/II study to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, biomarker response, and efficacy of E6742, a dual antagonist of Toll-like receptors 7 and 8, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The treatment demonstrated a favourable safety profile, with no serious adverse events, while effectively suppressing interferon gene signatures and showing promising preliminary efficacy.
August 2024
Urinary soluble CD163 is useful as "liquid biopsy" marker in lupus nephritis at both diagnosis and follow-up to predict impending flares
J Transl Autoimmun 2024;9:100244 DOI 10.1016/j.jtauto.2024.100244
Renaudineau, et al. show that the urinary sCD163/creatinurea ratio is a parameter than can be used in addition to anti-dsDNA antibodies, anti-C1q antibodies, C3 complement fraction, the protein excretion to creatinine ratio and the estimated glomerular filtration rate.
June 2024
Combination of anti-SSA/Ro60 and anti-dsDNA serotype is predictive of belimumab renal response in patients with lupus nephritis
Lupus Sci Med. 2024 May 28;11(1) doi: 10.1136/lupus-2024-001156
The combination of anti-dsDNA and anti-SSA/Ro60 serotype may help to foretell the patient’s renal response to belimumab. Investigators here aimed to explore the effectiveness of belimumab on active LN, exploring predictors, including serological biomarkers, of renal response to belimumab in a real-world setting.
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October 2024
ANA-associated arthritis: clinical and biomarker characterization of a population for basket trials
Rheumatol 2024 2024;00:1–11 DOI 10.1093/rheumatology/keae269
Arnold et al. assessed musculoskeletal (MSK) inflammation in ANA-associated rheumatic diseases (RMDs) and redefined ANA-associated arthritis into two distinct multi-disease clusters based on disease activity, which may support a more targeted approach to treatment. The authors confirmed that MSK inflammation is a key feature across diagnoses and responded similarly to treatments.
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June 2023
Clinical and biomarker responses to BI 655064, an antagonistic anti-CD40 antibody, in patients with active lupus nephritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase II trial
Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023;75(11):1983–93 doi: 10.1002/art.42557.
This phase II study of BI 655064 in patients with active LN did not meet the primary endpoint of CRR at Week 52, however, post-hoc analyses suggest a potential benefit of BI 655064 180 mg in patients with active LN.
April 2023
Rapid Efficacy of Anifrolumab Across Multiple Subtypes of Recalcitrant Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Parallels Changes in Discrete Subsets of Blood Transcriptomic and Cellular Biomarkers
Br J Dermatol. 2023 doi: 10.1093/bjd/ljad089
Prospective single-centre study of anifrolumab in refractory mucocutaneous SLE, indicates rapid efficacy of anifrolumab in discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and rituximab-resistant CLE.
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July 2022
Mechanism of action of baricitinib and identification of biomarkers and key immune pathways in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus
Dörner T, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2022. Epub ahead of print. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-222335.
Phase II study results suggest that baricitinib 4 mg downregulates key cytokines that are upregulated in patients with SLE.
June 2022
Baricitinib decreases anti‑dsDNA in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: results from a phase II double‑blind, randomized, placebo‑controlled trial
Arthritis Res Ther 2022;24(1):112 doi: 10.1186/s13075-022-02794-x
Evaluation of serological activity, including antibodies against double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA), suggests that baricitinib may influence B cell activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Biological impact of iberdomide in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus
doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-222212
Phase 2b study evaluating the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of oral iberdomide in patients with active SLE demonstrates that iberdomide significantly improves lupus disease activity and reduces hallmarks of the immunopathogenesis of SLE.