Ajou University Professor Sang Dun Choi developed a medicine for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body.

The research team led by Professor Choi (Department of Biological Science, Graduate School's Department of Molecular Science and Technology, pictured above) said that it succeeded in deriving an innovative therapeutic substance following the verification of its remedial effect in the lupus-related murine model.

A paper on the findings was published in the February edition of The EBioMedicine, which ranks within the top 7.7 percent among medical journals, under the title "A peptide derived from the core β-sheet region of TIRAP decoys TLR4 and reduces inflammatory and autoimmune symptoms in murine models."

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus involves various symptoms such as skin rashes, photosensitivity, arthritis, canker sores, nephritis, hematocytopenia, panangiitis, and serositis. It is known to occur in those with genetic predispositions when they are infected with certain viruses or influenced by environmental factors like ultraviolet rays.

In Korea, the number of lupus patients has been increasing from 20,902 in 2015 to 26,556 in 2019 and more than 5 million people are known to suffer from lupus around the world. In most cases, women in their 20s and 30s fall victim to lupus.

The team led by Professor Choi identified a toll-like receptor, which is activated by an intrinsic damage-associated molecular pattern, as a factor accelerating the autoimmunocyte reaction and verified the therapeutic effect of the TLR7/9-controlling substance in murine models.

The research was conducted with the support of the Original Technologies Development Project carried out by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea. Professor Chang Hee Suh (School of Medicine) and Professor Wook Kim (Graduate School's Department of Molecular Science and Technology) from Ajou University and Professor Dae Hyun Hahm from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine also participated in the research, and the findings are being promoted by the National Research Foundation of Korea as a research achievement that provides direct benefits to the public.

Professor Choi said, "Medicines that are based on TLR control can be applied to various other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases once their effect is proven for a single autoimmune disease," adding, "Therefore, our findings are highly likely to be developed into a blockbuster medicine."