Key facts
- Five lupus patients in England have entered remission after a trial of CAR T-cell therapy.
- CAR T-cell therapy genetically modifies a patient's own T-cells to target and eliminate disease.
- The treatment involves infusing engineered T-cells back into the patient to reset the immune system.
- The trial, led by UCLH and UCL, involved nine patients with severe lupus unresponsive to other treatments.
- Five patients on a lower dose achieved remission within months, with follow-up averaging 11 months.
- Improvements were seen in disease markers and kidney function, with potential for a cure.
Five lupus patients in England have achieved remission following a pioneering trial of CAR T-cell therapy, a revolutionary treatment that genetically modifies a patient's own cells. The therapy, already transforming cancer treatment, involves extracting T-lymphocytes, engineering them to identify and destroy disease-causing cells, and reinfusing them to reset the immune system.
The trial, conducted by University College London hospitals foundation trust (UCLH) and University College London (UCL), recruited nine patients with severe lupus who had not responded to previous treatments. Most suffered from lupus nephritis, a kidney complication. Five patients who received a lower dose of the CAR T-cell therapy went into remission within months, with an average follow-up of 11 months. Three patients on a higher dose have been followed for three months, and doctors are optimistic they may also achieve remission.
Tests indicated rapid improvements in disease markers and kidney function among the treated patients. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks healthy tissues, potentially damaging organs like the kidneys, lungs, and heart. Symptoms can include joint pain, fatigue, and inflammation. Globally, an estimated 5 million people have lupus, predominantly women.
Professor Karl Peggs, director of UCLH’s biomedical research centre, described the findings as "groundbreaking" and expressed hope that CAR T-cell therapy could offer a potential cure. One patient, Katie Tinkler, who had lived with severe lupus for over three decades, reported a complete absence of major symptoms, enabling her to resume activities she had abandoned due to the disease's debilitating effects.