A subset of lupus autoantibodies can penetrate nuclei and damage DNA in cells, with consequences for the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus as well as cancer risk. Noble et al. propose the lupus butterfly theory to explain the effects of these DNA-damaging lupus autoantibodies on the interplay between autoimmunity, DNA damage and cancer.
- Philip W. Noble
- Sasha Bernatsky
- James E. Hansen
