BBC Doctor Oscar details Lupus treatment meant to ‘reset’ immune system

BBC Doctor Oscar details Lupus treatment meant to ‘reset’ immune system The debilitating condition could be put into remission with a new treatment Tens of thousands of people in the UK are affected by an often debilitating condition that can cause a wide range of symptoms and currently has no cure. However, a new treatment could be on the horizon as scientists have discovered how ‘reseting’ the immune system may work. Talking to BBC Morning Live, Dr Oscar Duke shared how this could be an incredible step forward for patients, but warned that the treatment may come with downsides too. He explained that the new treatment is kind of like a “control, alt, delete” for the immune system. Lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosus, is a chronic condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs. Doctors aren’t sure what causes it and it can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms can differ so dramatically from person to person. Dr Oscar revealed that in medical school, students are taught that lupus “can cause almost any medical symptom that you can think about” adding that the symptoms are “far too many to list”. Some possible symptoms highlighted by the NHS include: - Joint and muscle pain - Extreme tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest - Rashes on the face usually triggered by time in the sun - Headaches - Mouth ulcers - High temperatures - Hair loss - Weight loss - Swollen glands - Depression and anxiety - Chest or stomach pain - Changes in the colour of your fingers or toes when you’re cold, anxious or stressed Lupus symptoms can also come and go, known as flare-ups and periods of remission. Although some people may have constant symptoms. Dr Oscar explained that current treatments involve suppressing the body’s immune system to stop it from mistakenly attacking other tissues but this also leaves people vulnerable to other infections. But a new treatment could be on the horizon as CAR T-cell therapy has allowed some lupus patients to go years without any sign of the disease. The doctor explained: “In your blood, you've got the white blood cells that fight the effect infections, but they're also the ones that are attacking you in an autoimmune condition. You've got B and T cells in a soup mixed up together. It tends to be the B cells that are the trigger of these sorts of autoimmune problems.” In CAR T-cell therapy, the T cells are removed and modified so when they are back in your body, they attack and destroy the B cells. Dr Oscar highlighted that while this gets rid of the cells attacking your body when you have Lupus, it also gets rid of the “good B cells”. He added: “So for a period of time until that all regrows and resets, you're also going to be at a higher risk of other infections that (the good B cells) might have been protected you from.” Three years on, a few lupus patients who had the therapy now have no signs of the condition. Dr Oscar added that if the therapy is proven to work for one autoimmune condition like lupus, there’s potential that it could work for others too like rheumatoid arthritis.