More than 45 people with autoimmune diseases have been successfully treated with a novel CAR-T cell therapy at the University Hospital Erlangen, part of Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). Among them, over 15 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus - who had previously not responded to any other treatments - are now symptom-free. A new study, supported by a USD 600,000 grant from the U.S.-based Lupus Research Alliance, will now investigate the underlying mechanisms of this therapy. The funding comes from the U.S.-based Lupus Research Alliance.
In lupus, immune cells known as B cells produce antibodies against the body's own tissues. As part of the CAR-T cell therapy developed in Erlangen, patients' own immune cells (T cells) are extracted and equipped with a special artificial receptor (CAR). These CAR-T cells are then returned to the patient, where they bind to harmful B cells in the blood and tissues and destroy them.
The result is a reboot of the immune system. However, the disease lupus is not only driven by B cells; other immune cells such as T cells and macrophages also play an important role. It is therefore not yet understood how the targeted killing of B cells can bring lupus to a standstill and whether the novel therapy also has a positive effect on other immune cells.
In a new study, Prof. Ricardo Grieshaber-Bouyer wants to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the therapy. To support this, he and his team have received a USD 600,000 grant from the U.S.-based Lupus Research Alliance. Prof. Grieshaber-Bouyer, who holds a professorship in Clinical Systems Immunology at FAU, will analyze blood and tissue samples from treated patients to better understand how CAR-T cell therapy recalibrates the immune system and leads to sustained, drug-free remission.
"While CAR-T cell therapy specifically targets B cells, the disease is not driven by these cells alone. Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of which disease processes are influenced by the therapy," explains the researcher.