Ruth Wilson, who has lupus, leaves her monthly lupus-focused IV treatment at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Ruth Wilson, who balances her lupus illness with volunteering to help other patients, puts on makeup as she gets ready for the Walk with Us to Cure Lupus fundraising event, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A tattoo reading "Never Stop Fighting" decorates the arm of Ruth Wilson, as she receives her monthly lupus-focused IV treatment at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Ruth Wilson, who has lupus, takes a nap after the onset of a migraine and fatigue, as too much sunshine is one of her triggers, while at the beach with family, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in South Yarmouth, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Ruth Wilson looks for a parking spot as she arrives for her monthly lupus-focused IV treatment at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Ruth Wilson, whose lupus took six years to diagnose, receives her monthly lupus-focused IV treatment at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Ruth Wilson, who has lupus and is sensitive to the sun, stands at the water's edge while at the beach with family, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in South Yarmouth, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
It's one of medicine's biggest mysteries — why sometimes our immune system attacks our own bodies. Autoimmune diseases affect as many as 50 million Americans and millions more worldwide. They're hard to diagnose and treat, and they're on the rise. A Massachusetts woman's journey with one named lupus — called the disease of 1,000 faces for its baffling variety of symptoms — offers a snapshot of the burden. Now researchers are decoding the biology behind these debilitating diseases in hopes of eventually treating the causes, not just the symptoms.