Lupus is considered one of the most mysterious and complex autoimmune diseases, so much so that it has been nicknamed “the disease of a thousand faces.” It is hidden behind a wide spectrum of symptoms that may seem simple or dispersed on the surface, but in reality they are early signs of a deep immune defect in which the body attacks itself. Recent medical estimates indicate that autoimmune diseases affect about 50 million people in the United States alone, along with millions of others around the world, within a wide group that includes lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, Sjögren’s syndrome, and others.
Despite this widespread prevalence, diagnosis remains a major challenge. Symptoms overlap and change, and patients often suffer months or years before arriving at the correct answer. Among these painful stories, the experience of an American patient named Ruth Wilson stands out, which has become a clear example of the magnitude of the dilemma.
For six whole years, Wilson moved between doctors and incorrect diagnoses, while her pain, high temperature, and swelling of her joints became more severe without explanation. During one of her visits to the emergency room, she almost returned home again without results, but she insisted on one last examination. That moment was pivotal; The analysis revealed that her kidneys were close to complete failure, and that her immune system was in a state of self-revolution, silently attacking her vital organs.
Wilson’s story is not an exception, but rather a mirror of what many patients around the world experience, where the disease hides behind scattered symptoms and is diagnosed late, while it continues to destroy tissues and organs without being discovered.
Despite the mystery of its causes, science today is experiencing an unprecedented boom in understanding autoimmune diseases, based on the legacy of cancer research and the experiences of the “Covid-19” pandemic. These efforts have led to the discovery of common biological pathways between seemingly distant diseases, in an attempt to move from treating symptoms to striking the roots of immune dysfunction.
Lupus is a striking example of “friendly fire” within the body; Infections that affect the skin and joints, infiltrate the kidneys, heart and brain, and gradually extinguish the life of the affected person. Ruth says: “The patient appears normal… but no one can imagine the extent of the pain.” Scientists are sounding the alarm over a “silent” health crisis that is expanding… but they confirm that recent years have brought progress that could change medical history.
A window of hope
The biggest breakthrough came from CAR-T technology, which revolutionized cancer treatment and has now begun to enter the world of immunology. In Germany, the first lupus patient received this treatment in 2021, and has been living in recovery without medications since then, according to researchers.
Dozens of clinical trials around the world show promising results in lupus, rheumatoid and other diseases, through the use of modified immune cells that target the abnormal cells that spark the disease.
The drug “Teplizumab” also emerged for its ability to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes in those at risk of developing the disease, which was considered by the American “National Institute of Health” to be a real medical breakthrough. “We are living through the most exciting phase in the history of autoimmune research,” says Dr. Amit Saxena of the Langone Center.
Why does the immune system attack itself?
Studies reveal that lupus is not the result of a single factor, but rather the result of a complex mixture that includes: genetic predisposition in those with sensitive immune genes, and environmental factors such as infections, smoking, pollutants, and hormones. Women account for 90% of lupus cases, in addition to immune stress and excessive exposure to the sun, but one of the most exciting scientific threads is related to a type of immune cell called (Neutrophils) which in Arabic means “neutrophils.”
In the laboratory of the National Institute of Health in Washington, scientists discovered that some of these cells produce sticky networks known as NETs that act as “traps” to kill germs, but in lupus patients, these networks get out of control, causing dangerous infections, and explaining the high risk of strokes and heart attacks in young patients.
Scientists believe that this process is the first spark of the disease. Research also reveals that lupus is not a “single disease,” but rather a group of diseases that are similar in appearance but differ in their roots, which opens the way to precise treatments designed for each patient. Until then, patients live between pain… and hope.