Lupus Awarness Thank you

 Hi Everyone!

It's

I'm thrilled that so many of you are taking an active interest in learning about lupus.

Margaret from Thoughts & Happenings
Is showing her support by creating this lovely lupus ribbon.

She has given me permission to use it and is now part of my lupus awareness program. Thank you, Margaret.

 

Also, I have mentioned before that lupus is 5 million world wide.  Jan from The Low Carb Diabetic blog wanted to share this for anyone with lupus in the UK.

lupus UK is the only national registered charity supporting people with lupus and and helping to find a diagnoses.

lupusuk

https://lupusuk.org.uk/

 

I was going to save this part of my post until the last day but....  

I've been reading about the discovery of the epstein barr virus since last year, and how it reprograms immune B cells to set off lupus. So, when a comment from Christine from Chritine's Blog  mentioned about the epstein barr virus being a possible link. I thought I would elaborate on it. 

This image is a VERY small list of what the EBV can do. Reading about the virus is very scientific and way above my pay grade to explain it. LOL Let's just say it can be gruesome.

 

However, for lupus and other autoimmune it is a huge break through.

First, the EBV resides in 19 out of 20 Americans. It's stated that if you don't have EBV you have been living in a bubble.

EBV is highly contagious and spreads primarily through saliva.  Key transmission routes include kissing, sharing food, drinks, utensils, or toothbrushes, and contact with toys used by children. The virus can also spread via saliva-contaminated items for weeks after infection. You can see how kids are the first to contract it. Think day care and schools. 

 

Now for the exciting part.  

This is William Robinson MD, PHD 

He is from Stanford Medicine and has been working on this for 20 years.

 Quote.

“This is the single most impactful finding to emerge from my lab in my entire career,” said William Robinson, MD, PhD, a professor of immunology and rheumatology and the study’s senior author. “We think it applies to 100% of lupus cases.”
This is all a very new discovery and was publish November 12, 2025  in Science Translational Medicine.

The discovery not only clarifies the long-suspected role of EBV in lupus but also offers a roadmap for understanding how viral infections might ignite other autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The research was supported in part by the Lupus Research Alliance, a nonprofit organization which called the findings "a breakthrough that provides a mechanistic model for how a common viral infection may trigger autoimmunity." 

 

The discovery of the (EBV) as a primary trigger for lupus has shifted research toward potential long-term cures, with clinical trials for new targeted therapies, such as B-cell depletion, slated for 2026. While no definitive timeline for a cure exists, researchers are optimistic that targeting EBV could revolutionize treatment. 

With all of this great news, it doesn't come easy or quickly. The millions of people with lupus are still suffering, living with a disease that may take their life before this break through will help them. Approximately 10-15% of people with lupus will die prematurely due to complications of the disease, such as lupus nephritis, cardiovascular disease, or infection. This fight is everyday.

 

You now understand why it is so very important that federal research money is not done away with through this administration.  The research for lupus and other diseases is this close to a cure. 

Please contact your congressional representatives and demand that they make sure there is lupus research funding. If a cure for lupus is found it will lead to cures for other autoimmune.

Thank you all for caring.

Nicole 

 

Stanford Medicine 

Q&A with William Robinson MD 

Science Translational Medicine