This pioneering therapy from UK can cure lupus
What's the story
In a major medical breakthrough, five patients suffering from lupus in England have gone into remission after receiving a pioneering therapy. The treatment involves genetically modifying the patient's own cells, and has been hailed by doctors as a potential cure for this chronic autoimmune disease. The revolutionary CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy works by extracting T lymphocytes, white blood cells essential for detecting infected or damaged cells.
Treatment
1-time CAR T-cell therapy
The genetically modified T-cells are then infused back into the patient to reset their immune system. The same technique is already transforming cancer treatment. Now, doctors in London have successfully used it to cure five NHS patients with severe lupus, aged between 19 and 50. The one-time CAR T-cell therapy could revolutionize lupus treatment and eliminate the need for lifelong medication, according to medical experts.
Recovery stories
A look at the patients
One of the patients, Katie Tinkler, has not experienced any major symptoms of the disease for over 30 years since her diagnosis. She even skied for the first time in a decade and danced at her daughter's wedding after receiving this revolutionary treatment. The NHS trial was conducted by University College London Hospitals' Foundation Trust (UCLH) and University College London (UCL), with nine severe lupus patients who had previously not responded to any treatments.
Trial outcomes
In the trial, 6 patients received lower dose of CAR-T
In the trial, six patients received a lower dose of CAR-T and three got a higher dose. Five patients on the lower dose went into remission within just a few months. Tests showed rapid improvements in disease markers, including stabilization or improvement in kidney function damaged by lupus. Professor Karl Peggs, director of UCLH's biomedical research center, said these findings are groundbreaking and offer new hope to people living with lupus.
Research requirements
More research is needed
Peggs added that while more research is needed, the possibility of CAR T-cell therapy providing an immune reset and potentially freeing patients from chronic autoimmune disease is a remarkable step forward. He said, "If these results are confirmed in larger studies, the prospect of a cure for lupus may no longer be out of reach." This revolutionary treatment could change the lives of millions suffering from this debilitating disease.