MIMG’s Magnificent 7 – Longhuan “Harry” Ma, Ph.D.
We are investigating the role of gut microbiome changes on the initiation and progression of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We identified an anaerobic, gram-positive bacterium, Ruminococcus gnavus (Rg), which expands in the gut microbiome of lupus-prone mice and its blooms showed positive correlation with lupus diseases activities. Rg depletion with antibiotics ameliorated lupus autoimmunity with increased regulatory T cell functions and decreased autoantibody generation. This study may offer new thoughts for lupus treatments.