IDO2, A Novel Therapeutic Target for the Treatment of Lupus

A common characteristic of lupus is the presence of antibodies directed against the body’s own tissues, known as autoantibodies. Understanding the factors that activate and perpetuate the production of these autoantibodies is important in the design of therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of this debilitating autoimmune disease. Dr. Mandik-Nayak’s novel research will investigate a potential treatment, a new monoclonal antibody that targets the immune-regulating enzyme IDO2, and that, she believes, will interfere with the production of autoantibodies involved in lupus. In the future, this promising drug could lead to new treatments for lupus and its related symptoms.

What this study means for people with lupus

Dr. Mandik-Nayak and her team are excited to test the effectiveness of a potential new treatment — a newly developed monoclonal antibody — to inactivate an enzyme they found is responsible for driving the production of autoantibodies that attack the body’s own tissues.