Connect with LRI:  Why Should People with Lupus Run from the
Sun?  Friday, July 13, 2012  NEW YORK, NY – July 12, 2012. When
the Beatles sang “Here Comes the Sun” in the 1960’s, few thought
about the dangers of its ultraviolet (UV) rays. But in the
decades since, scientists have shown us the damage caused by
sunburn, when the skin becomes red, painful and inflamed. New
findings based on a novel research discovery first funded by the
Lupus Research Institute (LRI) now offers a possible explanation
on how sunlight triggers inflammation, which may lead to better
treatments for autoimmune diseases such as lupus.  Just
published in Nature Medicine, the study shows that a sunburn is
caused by the immune system’s protective response to damage
caused by the sun’s UV radiation to the RNAs (ribonucleic acids)
in skin cells. RNAs are molecules related to DNA that carry the
message when genes are turned on, help maintain cell function,
and determine the fate of cells. These study findings
potentially open the way to bloc