'I've never been this good' – revolutionary immune reset puts lupus in remission

'I've never been this good' – revolutionary immune reset puts lupus in remissionImage caption, Katie Tinkler, one of the first patients treatedByJames GallagherHealth and science correspondentPublished12 June 2026An experimental treatment that resets a malfunctioning immune system has put the disease lupus into remission in early UK trials.Experts say the approach could potentially treat similar disorders including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.One of the first patients, Katie Tinkler, said she had "never been this good" since being diagnosed 30 years ago.She once struggled to walk with her children, but can now ski and is off all lupus medication. The disease, which affects around 50,000 in the UK, sees the immune system attack the body.Hope of end to lupus after rollercoaster treatmentPublished28 November 2024Women make up 90% of people with lupus in the UK and tend to be diagnosed as young adults.When the immune system attacks the body, it causes joint pain, skin conditions and damage to organs including the kidneys.Katie was diagnosed in 1993 when she was 20. She refused to let the condition take over her life and even worked as a fitness instructor, but always had a packet of steroids tucked away in case of a flare up.Image caption, Katie walking Solo along with her daughter Evie When I met her in her kitchen in Surrey, glitterball dangling from the ceiling, she told me flare ups in her hands left her struggling to lift a cup of tea and she would need to take drugs 45 minutes before getting out of bed in the morning, otherwise it would be too painful.The disease became much more aggressive in the past decade, which has been "pretty horrendous" and Katie needed long spells in hospital. Her lupus was damaging her heart, lungs and kidneys, leaving her on the cusp of needing dialysis."Lupus at its worst was in bed, unable to move, going downhill rapidly, possibly dying…now I'm living," she told me.But...