Autoimmune Diseases, the Arising Opportunities for Cell Therapies

CAR-T cell therapies are now the established treatments for patients with relapsed and/or refractory B cell lymphomas, B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and multiple myeloma. Through deep depletion of targeted malignancy cells, CD 19-targeted and BCMA-target CAR-T treatment could lead to long-term remissions, in some cases curative. Inspired by the success of hematological cancers, CAR T cells are studied for diseases beyond oncology. A recent case study suggested deep depletion of B cells could alleviate the pathological progression and achieve sustained drug-free remission for autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Autoimmune diseases are “controlled” but incurable with the current treatment options due to their complex etiology. Cell therapies targeting autoreactive immune cells may offer a potentially curative approach in certain autoimmune diseases.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Review recent progress of cell therapies in autoimmune diseases
• Discuss the potential opportunities of CAR-T treatment in autoimmune disorders