Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common form of the chronic autoimmune disease lupus. Five million people worldwide are affected by some form of lupus . Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have discovered that blocking an iron uptake receptor, transferrin, reduces the disease pathology and promotes the activity of anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells in the SLE mice models. Expression of transferrin was found to be correlated with disease severity.
Blocking the receptor in vitro enhanced the production of IL-10 and the regulatory T-cell activity in the mice models. The researchers intend to develop transferrin receptor antibodies that specifically bind to T cells to avoid potential off-target effects. To this date, only one targeted biologic agent, belimumab, has been approved for treating SLE. The heterogeneous nature of the disease and patient population…
