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Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body. There's currently no cure for the condition.
What is lupus?
Also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lupus reprograms immune cells so they attack the body itself, resulting in chronic inflammation. It can affect the kidneys, joints, skin, brain, and the lining of the heart and lungs. Lupus can be mild or life-threatening.
Read more about lupus
Key statistics
1 in 600
Lupus is estimated to affect more than 20,000 (1 in 600) people in Australia
15-45
Onset usually occurs between 15 and 45 years
90%
90% of those affected are women
Ethnicity
Lupus tends to be more severe in African American and Asian people
Lupus research at Garvan
Our lupus research examines the immune cells responsible for making self-attacking autoantibodies. Using cellular genomics, we can study their difference from normal immune cells, and better target the bad cells while preserving the rest of the immune system.
Our lupus research