Posted by 
Lupus develops when the body’s immune system goes haywire and attacks healthy cells and tissue. Often, this is as a result of something fairly innocuous, like a mild viral infection that sufferers never even knew they had. As a result, the bloodstream is flooded with interferons, a type of protein which normally patrols the body looking for invading viruses to attack.
In lupus, the production of interferons is over-stimulated so much that the proteins cause damage to the skin, joints and major organs. The disease gets its name from the Latin for ‘wolf’ because the facial lesions it causes have been likened to a wolf’s bite. In rare cases, rashes can be so severe they lead to deep, pitted scars on the cheeks.
The condition also makes patients so sensitive to sunlight that even a few minutes outdoors on a hot day can make the skin blister, joints become inflamed and internal organs swell – increasing the risk of organ failure. Dr Vital from the Leeds Institute for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine said: ‘It can leave pitted scars on the face and that’s something young women – who are often those affected – really don’t want.’ But men can get it too.
The award-winning singer Seal, best known for his hit Kiss From A Rose and his marriage to supermodel Heidi Klum, developed a form of the disease in his early 20s. Evidence of the 56-year-old’s condition can be seen on his face, with telltale scars marking his cheeks.
The new drug anifrolumab makes the unsightly sores vanish before scarring occurs. It works by binding to receptors on the surface of cells in the body – the same receptors that interferon proteins normally stick to. This stops interferon from getting into cells in the skin, joints and organs and triggering the agonising symptoms.
It’s not clear yet whether patients will have to remain on the drug for the rest of their lives. Currently, the drug is restricted to patients taking part in clinical trials in the north of England. Astra Zeneca, the company which developed anifrolumab, says it hopes it will be available for NHS patients in the UK in the next two to three years.
Dailymail