Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary between people and may be mild to severe. The cause is not entirely clear. It is believed to involve hormonal, environmental, and genetic factors. The mechanism involves an immune response by autoantibodies against a person's own tissues. These are most commonly anti-nuclear antibodies and they result in inflammation. Studies showed that gene therapy using non-viral peptide vector in a canine systemic lupus erythematosus model. After gene therapy, clinical signs of systemic lupus erythematosus were reduced dramatically: the anti-nuclear antibody titers and urine protein/creatinine ratios were recovered to normal values, and the skin regained its normal histological features.