Researchers at Northwestern University have tested non-toxic peptides in 30 lupus patients, targeting the behavior of T-cells. As many of you know, T-cells are important parts of our immune system, but in those with lupus, the T-cells attack a patient's own organs. The peptides, the researchers say, help produce regulatory T-cells that play a vital part in putting the disease into remission.

Previous studies at Northwestern have showed that a nontoxic therapy using small pieces of proteins known as peptides can block lupus in mice prone to contracting the disease. The peptides produce special regulatory T cells that are vital to suppressing the disease.

This new study was comprised of 30 lupus patients, ten of whom were active and twenty who were in remission, along with fifteen healthy patients. Each person had a blood sample cultured with low doses of the peptide.

Senior study author Syamal Datta, professor of medicine-rheumatology and microbiology-immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said, "We found that the peptides could not only generate regulatory T cells, but also that they block and reduce autoantibody production to almost baseline levels in the blood cultures from people with active Lupus."

"This approach shows that the peptides have the potential to work like a vaccine in the human body, to boost the regulatory immune system of those with Lupus, fight autoimmune antibodies and keep the disease in remission," Datta added.

Read more about the study here.