Immunological reset? CAR T-cell therapy shows promise for autoimmune diseases

The immunotherapy led to drug-free remission in 15 adults with treatment-refractory disease, German researchers say.

Novel blood cancer immunotherapies could induce an “immunological reset” in patients with severe and treatment-refractory autoimmune disease, German rheumatologists report.

In a case series of 15 adults — all of whom had failed multiple immune suppressive treatments — the doctors showed that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy led to drug-free remission after an average of 15 months’ follow-up.