U54 NY Center Investigator Development Core Pilot Project, “Mechanistic Study of Female Bias in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus”

Research Areas

  • B cell tolerance in autoimmunity
  • Mechanisms underlying female bias in lupus
  • Targeting B cell tolerance for lupus treatment

Scientific Achievements

  • Identified the SMS2/PKCd tolerance pathway as a protective tolerance mechanism required for preventing lupus.
  • Discovered female biased impairment of the SMS2/PKCd tolerance pathway in lupus.
  • Developing a novel therapeutic strategy that selectively suppresses lupus autoimmunity by leveraging the SMS2/PKCd tolerance pathway.
  • Publication:
    • doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1728403 (2026)

Funding

RCMI Funding:

  • U54MD017979 Pilot Project “Mechanistic Study of Female Bias in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus”

Scientific Advance

Restoring B cell intrinsic tolerance to lupus autoimmunity: A rational strategy for lupus treatment
Frontiers in Immunology Feb 11:17:1728403, 2026
Lupus remains a serious clinical challenge because available medications lack specificity for lupus autoimmunity, often impairing normal immune responses and affecting other essential body functions. Reinforcing immune tolerance has been recognized as a promising approach for selectively suppressing lupus autoimmunity; however, limited understanding of tolerance mechanisms has hindered satisfactory clinical outcomes. This review highlights existing strategies aimed at strengthening immune tolerance and emphasizes that restoring impaired B cell intrinsic tolerance may provide a more physiological and effective way to suppress lupus autoimmunity without compromising normal immunity or other critical functions.
U54MD017979 Pilot Project
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