Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypic autoimmune disease. It is associated with more than 30 genes. The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics group revised and validated the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria in 2012. Recent randomized clinical trials for new biologic treatment use a new composite assessment, called SLE Responder Index, as its primary outcome. Belimumab approval as a specific anti-lupus agent has opened the doors for a new attack on multiple lupus pathogenic mechanisms and it is expected that other novel therapeutic agents will follow soon. This review provides an update of the recent literature on the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, assessment and the current and near future novel treatment modalities.