Clinical trial studies whether lupus can be treated through vagus nerve stimulation

A vagus nerve stimulation device has become available for a clinical trial at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health to study whether it can treat symptoms of lupus through a drug-free method.  Food Drug Administration-approved as a therapy for rheumatoid arthritis in July 2025, the device was developed by a team led by Dr. Kevin Tracey, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health.  The vagus nerve, which travels through the neck, is one of the longest cranial nerves and can affect inflammation in the body, which can impact gut health, heart rate and immune response, according to previous reporting from the Press. The trial is led by Dr. Cynthia Aranow, a professor of Medicine and Molecular Medicine at the Feinstein Institute and is a rheumatologist specializing in lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, who has developed the trial to determine whether non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation can reduce symptoms of lu