Researchers have discovered that increasing levels of the CXCL5 protein in the blood of patients with lupus—who present with lower levels of the protein than those without lupus—may effectively help treat the disease, according to an article published in The Straits Times. The researchers also proposed that CXCL5 may be the key to understanding the onset of lupus activity. In their preclinical study, published by Fan et al in Arthritis & Rheumatology, they found that survival rates in mice with lupus rose from 25% to over 70% and kidney function improved after CXCL5 was injected into the bloodstream for 10 weeks. “Our study has shown CXCL5 to be safe. There was no liver or kidney toxicity or cancer-inducing effects. Major components of the immune system were also not compromised,” concluded lead study author Xiubo Fan, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Duke University–National University of Singapore Medical School and a senior research fellow in the Department of Clinical Translational Research at the Singapore General Hospital. As a result of the promising findings, the researchers plan to conduct phase I and phase II trials in patients with lupus in the coming 2 to 3 years.