Lupus News

June 11, 2026

Top Headlines

World's Largest Opioid Review Finds They Often Don't Work

June 9, 2026 The largest review ever conducted on opioids for acute pain found that these widely prescribed drugs often deliver only small, short-lived benefits. For many common conditions, including some surgeries and kidney stone pain, opioids performed no ...

This Drug Delayed Rheumatoid Arthritis for Years After Treatment Ended

June 1, 2026 A promising new study suggests rheumatoid arthritis may not be as inevitable as once thought for people at high risk. Researchers found that just one year of treatment with the immune-targeting drug abatacept delayed the onset of rheumatoid ...

Scientists “Recharge” Damaged Nerves to Ease Chronic Pain

May 24, 2026 For millions battling chronic nerve pain, even the softest touch can feel agonizing — but scientists may have uncovered a radically new way to stop it at the source. Researchers at Duke University found that damaged nerves can be revived by ...

Scientists Discover Simple Way to Relieve Arthritis Pain Without Pills or Surgery

May 22, 2026 A surprisingly simple walking tweak may offer new hope for millions living with knee osteoarthritis. In a year-long clinical trial, researchers found that slightly changing the angle of a person’s ...

May 22, 2026 Researchers have discovered that the GLP-1 hormone targeted by drugs like Wegovy is present in very low amounts inside the joints of arthritis patients. That finding suggests high-dose GLP-1 ...

Scientists Discover Strange Link Between Vitamin D and Pain

May 19, 2026 Low vitamin D levels could be quietly making breast cancer surgery recovery far more painful. In a new study, patients deficient in vitamin D were three times more likely to experience moderate to severe pain after mastectomy surgery and ended up ...

Scientists May Have Found the Brain’s Switch for Chronic Pain

Apr. 27, 2026 Deep within the brain, scientists have uncovered a hidden “switch” that may decide whether pain fades away—or lingers for months or even years. Researchers found that a small, little-known region called the caudal granular insular cortex ...

This New Therapy Turns Off Pain Without Opioids or Addiction

Mar. 28, 2026 Scientists have developed a new gene therapy that quiets pain at its source in the brain—without the addictive risks of opioids. Using AI to map how pain is processed, they created a targeted “off switch” that mimics morphine’s benefits but ...

Scientists Discover Hormone That May Stop Chronic Back Pain at Its Source

Mar. 23, 2026 A new study suggests a widely used bone hormone could help relieve chronic back pain in an unexpected way. Instead of just strengthening bone, it appears to stop pain-sensing nerves from growing into damaged spinal areas. In animal models, this led ...

Millions with Joint Pain and Osteoarthritis Are Missing the Most Powerful Treatment

Mar. 4, 2026 Stiff knees and aching hips may seem like an inevitable part of aging, but experts say we’re getting osteoarthritis all wrong. Despite affecting nearly 600 million people worldwide — and ...

Scientists Discover the Body’s Hidden “Off Switch” for Inflammation

Feb. 19, 2026 A new human study has uncovered how the body naturally turns off inflammation. Researchers found that fat-derived molecules called epoxy-oxylipins rein in immune cells that can otherwise drive chronic disease. Using a drug to boost these molecules ...

Scientists Uncover Why Psoriasis Can Turn Into Joint Disease

Feb. 5, 2026 Researchers have figured out how psoriasis can quietly turn into joint disease for some patients. Immune cells formed in inflamed skin can travel through the blood and reach the joints, where they sometimes trigger inflammation. The key difference ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:07am EDT

Stanford Scientists Found a Way to Regrow Cartilage and Stop Arthritis

Jan. 20, 2026 Scientists at Stanford Medicine have discovered a treatment that can reverse cartilage loss in aging joints and even prevent arthritis after knee injuries. By blocking a protein linked to aging, the ...

Stanford Scientists Uncover Why mRNA COVID Vaccines Can Trigger Heart Inflammation

Dec. 27, 2025 Stanford scientists have uncovered how mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can very rarely trigger heart inflammation in young men — and how that risk might be ...

Dec. 25, 2025 Tramadol, a popular opioid often seen as a “safer” painkiller, may not live up to its reputation. A large analysis of clinical trials found that while it does reduce chronic pain, the relief is ...

Mayo Clinic Neurosurgeon Reveals 8 Back Pain Myths to Stop Believing

Dec. 15, 2025 Back pain is wrapped in persistent myths, but many are far from the truth. From misconceptions about heavy lifting and bed rest to confusion over posture, exercise, and surgery, Dr. Meghan Murphy ...

Stem Cell Pain Sponge Soaks Up Osteoarthritis Joint Pain and Protects Cartilage

Dec. 15, 2025 SereNeuro Therapeutics revealed promising results for SN101, a first-in-class iPSC-derived therapy designed to treat chronic osteoarthritis pain ...

New Study Shows Rheumatoid Arthritis Begins Long Before Symptoms

Nov. 26, 2025 Rheumatoid arthritis begins years before pain ever appears, and scientists have now mapped the hidden immune battle that unfolds long before symptoms. By studying people with RA-linked antibodies ...

Stanford's New Cell Therapy Cures Type 1 Diabetes in Mice

Nov. 26, 2025 Researchers at Stanford found a way to cure or prevent Type 1 diabetes in mice using a combined blood stem cell and islet cell transplant. The procedure creates a hybrid immune system that stops ...

Chronic Pain May Dramatically Raise Your Blood Pressure

Nov. 17, 2025 Chronic pain might quietly push people toward developing high blood pressure—and the more widespread the pain, the greater the danger. A massive analysis of over 200,000 adults uncovered strong ...

Breakthrough Brain Discovery Reveals a Natural Way to Relieve Pain

Nov. 4, 2025 Using powerful 7-Tesla brain imaging, researchers mapped how the brainstem manages pain differently across the body. They discovered that distinct regions activate for facial versus limb pain, ...

This European Treatment for Joint Pain Just Passed a Major Scientific Test

Oct. 15, 2025 Korean researchers found that low-dose radiation therapy eased knee pain and improved movement in people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. The treatment, far weaker than cancer radiation, showed ...

MIT’s “stealth” Immune Cells Could Change Cancer Treatment Forever

Oct. 11, 2025 MIT and Harvard scientists have designed an advanced type of immune cell called a CAR-NK cell that can destroy cancer while avoiding attack from the body’s own immune defenses. This innovation ...

Scientists Discover Brain Circuit That Can Switch Off Chronic Pain

Oct. 10, 2025 Scientists have pinpointed Y1 receptor neurons in the brain that can override chronic pain signals when survival instincts like hunger or fear take precedence. Acting like a neural switchboard, these ...

A Single Dose of Psilocybin May Rewire the Brain for Lasting Relief

Oct. 2, 2025 Penn researchers found that psilocybin can calm brain circuits tied to pain and mood, easing both physical suffering and emotional distress in animal studies. The compound works in the anterior ...

Scientists Uncover How to Block Pain Without Side Effects

Sep. 26, 2025 Scientists have discovered a way to block pain while still allowing the body’s natural healing to take place. Current painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin often come with harmful side effects ...

Hidden Viruses in Our DNA Could Be Medicine’s Next Big Breakthrough

Sep. 3, 2025 Scientists have decoded the 3D structure of an ancient viral protein hidden in our DNA. The HERV-K Env protein, found on cancer and autoimmune cells, has a unique shape that could unlock new ...

Is Ketamine the Answer for Chronic Pain? New Findings Cast Doubt

Aug. 18, 2025 A sweeping review of 67 trials has cast doubt on the use of ketamine and similar NMDA receptor antagonists for chronic pain relief. While ketamine is frequently prescribed off-label for conditions ...

This Sugar Molecule Could Stop Type 1 Diabetes, by Fooling the Immune System

Aug. 2, 2025 In a fascinating twist, Mayo Clinic researchers discovered that a sugar molecule cancer cells use to hide from the immune system might also protect insulin-producing beta cells in type 1 diabetes. By ...

Lupus Often Fades With Age. Scientists Finally Know Why

Aug. 4, 2025 Lupus, a relentless autoimmune disease, appears to mellow with age. While it aggressively targets organs with runaway interferon signaling in younger adults, researchers at UCSF have found that the ...

Pain Relief Without Pills? VR Nature Scenes Trigger the Brain’s Healing Switch

July 30, 2025 Stepping into a virtual forest or waterfall scene through VR could be the future of pain management. A new study shows that immersive virtual nature dramatically reduces pain sensitivity almost as ...

How a Hidden Brain Circuit Fuels Fibromyalgia, Migraines, and PTSD

July 10, 2025 What if your brain is the reason some pain feels unbearable? Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a hidden brain circuit that gives pain its emotional punch—essentially transforming ...

USC's New AI Implant Promises Drug-Free Relief for Chronic Pain

June 24, 2025 A groundbreaking wireless implant promises real-time, personalized pain relief using AI and ultrasound power no batteries, no wires, and no opioids. Designed by USC and UCLA engineers, it reads brain ...

The Surprising Reason X-Rays Can Push Arthritis Patients Toward Surgery

Aug. 26, 2025 Knee osteoarthritis is a major cause of pain and disability, but routine X-rays often do more harm than good. New research shows that being shown an X-ray can increase anxiety, make people fear ...

Being in Nature Can Help People With Chronic Back Pain Manage Their Condition

June 3, 2025 Researchers asked patients, some of whom had experienced lower back pain for up to 40 years, if being in nature helped them coped better with their lower back pain. They found that people able to ...

Brain Training Game Offers New Hope for Drug-Free Pain Management

June 2, 2025 A trial of an interactive game that trains people to alter their brain waves has shown promise as a treatment for nerve pain -- offering hope for a new generation of drug-free ...

Why Some Viral Infections Appear to Trigger Autoimmune Disease

May 20, 2025 By studying Chikungunya virus, scientists shed light on how immune responses to viral infections may lead to persistent symptoms of autoimmune ...

Depression Linked to Physical Pain Years Later

May 20, 2025 Middle-aged and older adults who experience pain are more likely to have had worsening symptoms of depression up to eight years before the pain began, according to a new ...

Relieve Your Pain With a Psychologist or an App

May 16, 2025 Psychological treatment can relieve pain. New research now shows what happens in the brain -- and what specific treatments psychologists, doctors and patients can turn ...

Protein Switch Turns Anti-Viral Immune Response on and Off

May 15, 2025 An international research team has discovered a critical protein that acts as a 'switch' regulating immune responses to ...

People With Lupus Who Have Certain Antibodies Are More Likely to Experience Blood Clots, Researchers Find

May 14, 2025 Some patients with lupus who possess specific antibodies are at a higher risk of thrombotic events such as a blood clot, stroke or heart attack, a new study shows. The finding might help clinicians ...

New Chronic Pain Therapy Retrains the Brain to Process Emotions

May 6, 2025 Researchers have created an effective therapy for chronic pain that reduces pain intensity by focusing on emotional ...