I remember my rheumatologist mentioned something about him believing my SLE was caused by a mutation of the cell from the bone marrow, or something like that. It was when I was going through a really bad brain fog and was not retaining much information, but I was told by a non-medical provider that stem cell therapy could possibly help my condition, but of course insurance does not cover that.
July 25
That's a really thoughtful question! It gets at something many people with lupus wonder about. Unfortunately, lupus doesn't yet have a known single "cause" that can be directly targeted — it's believed to result from a combination of genetics, hormones, and environmental triggers like infections or smoking.
Because of this Show Full Answer
That's a really thoughtful question! It gets at something many people with lupus wonder about. Unfortunately, lupus doesn't yet have a known single "cause" that can be directly targeted — it's believed to result from a combination of genetics, hormones, and environmental triggers like infections or smoking.
Because of this, most current treatments focus on calming the immune system's overactivity rather than eliminating a root cause. However, some treatments do go deeper than just managing symptoms:
- Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) — helps "reset" immune system behavior, not just mask symptoms
- Immunosuppressants — work to reduce the immune system's attack on the body
- Biologics like belimumab — target specific immune pathways involved in lupus activity
- CAR T-cell therapy — an emerging experimental treatment that may offer long-term remission by reprogramming immune cells Researchers are actively exploring new therapies through clinical trials, including stem cell transplants and B-cell therapies, which aim to address the underlying immune dysfunction more directly.
So while a true "cure" doesn't exist yet, science is definitely moving in that direction! Always worth discussing the latest options with a rheumatologist.
July 25
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