Scientists have prevented the development of lupus in mice by boosting levels of an immune system component, a new study reports.The component -- a receptor gene known as Fc -- acts like a gatekeeper, helping to maintain a healthy immune system instead of one that turns on itself, as is the case in autoimmune diseases such as lupus. In mice and in humans with lupus, production of the Fc receptor is reduced.The discovery of a way to increase production of the Fc receptor may eventually lead to therapies that could prevent, or even treat, lupus, according to the researchers."Despite the complexities of autoimmune diseases like lupus, where many changes are involved, it may be possible to reverse [autoimmunity] by changing just one of those components -- the gatekeeper,” said study author Dr. Jeffrey Ravetch, a professor at The Rockefeller University in New York City. “Ours is a more optimistic viewpoint. You don’t have to correct all of the components, just one."The findings appear in the Jan. 28 issue of Science.
