The genetically modified immune cells are T cells that had previously been taken from six patients with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus. The life-threatening patients then received their altered cells back. These then hunted down immune cells that are responsible for the formation of self-destructive antibodies. This method, already used in cancer, has resulted in the complete elimination of the autoimmune disease with just a single treatment. This was the first use of this method worldwide in people with an autoimmune disease.
A particular success was that although the antibody-forming cells slowly returned after the treatment, they no longer had any self-destructive properties even after 100 days, so that the disease did not return. The researchers compared the effect of the therapy with pressing a reset button on the immune system.
Systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE for short, is a severe autoimmune disease in which antibodies are formed against the patient’s own genetic material. This leads to inflammation of the kidneys and other organs. Typically, people with SLE are treated by suppressing their immune systems with cortisone and immunosuppressants. These often have to be administered over a long period of time and in large quantities, which can have serious side effects.
Which: DOI 10.1038/s41591-022-02017-5