Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue throughout the body, affecting joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. It affects about 1.5 million Americans, mostly women of childbearing age. Treatment typically combines hydroxychloroquine with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants to control flares and prevent organ damage.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing targeted therapies that block specific immune pathways involved in lupus, including drugs that target B cells, interferon, and the complement system. Researchers are also studying therapies for lupus nephritis, which affects the kidneys and is a major cause of serious complications. Several biologics approved for other conditions are being tested in lupus, alongside drugs designed specifically for the disease.
Type I interferon blockers
Anifrolumab, an FDA-approved drug that blocks interferon signaling, represents the first new lupus treatment mechanism in decades. Additional interferon-targeting drugs are in trials for people who didn't respond to standard treatments.
Lupus nephritis therapies
Several drugs are being tested specifically for kidney involvement, including voclosporin, which was FDA-approved in 2021, and newer approaches that may preserve kidney function better than older immunosuppressants. Combination therapies are also being studied to see if they work better than single drugs.
B cell targeting
Belimumab, which targets B cells that produce damaging antibodies, is FDA-approved and being tested in combination with other drugs. Newer B cell therapies aim to work faster and more completely than current options.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on disease activity level, which organs are affected, antibody test results, prior medications tried, and whether kidney involvement is present.
What types of trials are currently open
- Treatment trials — Testing new drugs or drug combinations to reduce lupus symptoms and flares, often comparing them to standard treatments like hydroxychloroquine or corticosteroids.
- Lupus nephritis trials — Testing treatments specifically for kidney involvement, measuring protein in urine and kidney function over time.
- Biologic trials — Testing antibody-based drugs that target specific immune pathways, often given as infusions or injections every few weeks or months.
- Observational studies — Following people with lupus over time to understand disease patterns, identify biomarkers that predict flares or organ damage, and learn what affects long-term outcomes.
- Symptom-focused trials — Testing treatments for specific lupus symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, or skin rashes that persist despite standard treatments.
Recently added LUPUS trials
^68Ga-grazytracer PET for In Vivo Visualization of Immune Cell Effector Functions
This is a prospective, single-center, exploratory clinical study designed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical utility of \^68Ga-grazytracer positron emission tomography (PET) for noninvasive in vivo visualization of immune cell effector function in patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. \^68Ga-grazytracer is a granzyme B (GZMB)-targeted PET radiotracer developed to visualize cytotoxic immune activation. Approximately 60-80 adult participants will be enrolled in two study cohorts: (1) patients with malignant tumors who are scheduled to receive systemic anticancer therapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, or combination therapy; and (2) patients with autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and immune myocarditis, who are receiving or planning to receive immunomodulatory treatment. Participants will undergo \^68Ga-grazytracer PET/CT imaging before treatment initiation and again during the predefined treatment period. Imaging findings, including tracer uptake and semiquantitative parameters (e.g., SUVmax and target-to-background ratio), will be analyzed together with clinical outcomes, laboratory findings, disease activity assessments, and follow-up data. The primary objectives are to evaluate the safety and tolerability of \^68Ga-grazytracer PET imaging and to investigate the association between GZMB-targeted PET imaging and treatment response in patients with cancer, disease activity and organ involvement in autoimmune diseases, and therapeutic response to immunomodulatory treatment. This study aims to provide preliminary evidence supporting the use of \^68Ga-grazytracer PET as a molecular imaging biomarker for noninvasive assessment of immune effector function in cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Pediatric Longitudinal Glomerular Disease: a PNRC Multi-Institutional Cohort Study
To review and collect information from a patients medical record in order to study and research how to help other children with glomerular diseases.
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