Symptoms including fatigue, fevers, weight changes, joint pain and more are caused by Lupus, but it also has some more severe symptoms that can threaten life such as heart, lung, kidney and blood clotting problems. These symptoms can be managed by lots of medication, but there is currently no cure so people with lupus need to take medication for their entire life in order to manage these symptoms.
CAR T-cell therapy is normally a cancer immunotherapy treatment that genetically modifies a patients T-cells so that they attack the cancer cells. A doctor will take a blood sample and then extract the patients T-cells and add a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) gene. In a lab, these cells will then be replicated to increase the cell count. Finally, these cells are infused back into the patients blood stream where the T-cells can bind to and kill specific cells.
In 2022, a small clinical trial used this same form of treatment to help lupus patients. The results of this clinical trial showed that all the participants went into remission from their lupus and were able to stop taking their medication for between three to seventeen months. In the UK, another clinical trial has recently taken place at University College Hospital in London where participants with more severe lupus have received CAR T-cell therapy. One of the participants reported that after the treatment she has "more energy" and is experiencing less swelling within her joints. Researchers also believe that CAR T-cell therapy can be used to treat even more diseases.
The treatment is still not perfect as after receiving it the patients immune system becomes vulnerable, risking them catching an infection for several weeks after the treatment. Despite this, those with more severe lupus think it is worth the risk as severe lupus can lead to kidney failure alongside life long pain and a life of medication.
This offers a life-changing, hopeful outlook for those with lupus. With additional trials and continued development, this therapy could eventually lead to the cure that many with lupus have been hoping for.
