Doctors say the apparent success of a treatment for lupus - an autoimmune disease that can cause life-threatening damage to the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys - raises hopes for tackling other autoimmune conditions such a rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The Guardian reports that five people have become the first in the world to receive a therapy that uses genetically altered cells to drive the illness into remission.
The four women and one man, aged between 18 and 24, received transfusions of modified immune cells to treat severe lupus. The treatment forced the disease into remission in all five individuals, who have now been off lupus medication for between three and 17 months.
Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus, develops when the immune system erroneously attacks healthy tissues and organs. Researchers think it may be caused by viral infections, particular medicines, and changes in the body around puberty and the menopause.
