Glucocorticoid and disease related gene expression in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune condition. Glucocorticoids are used for SLE treatment due to a lack of treatments that target immune pathways specific to SLE, but have significant side effects. Increasingly, techniques that analyse gene expression are being used to help identify what immune pathways are active in SLE to help target new treatments. This PhD analyses several novel aspects of gene expression in SLE, with a focus on genes regulated by glucocorticoids and type 1 interferon, inflammatory mediators that are active in many patients with SLE. This work may contribute to the development of new treatments for SLE in the future.