Successful CAR-T therapy revitalizes autoimmune field

Isabella Cueto focuses on chronic disease, a leading cause of death and disability. Her focuses include autoimmune diseases and diseases of the lung, kidney, and liver. She writes about interesting research, the promises and pitfalls of treatments, and what can be done about the burden of disease. You can access Isabella at the signal isabellaracueto.03.

Georg Schette had two things going for him. Two, it was a young patient dying of lupus, and two, some mouse studies raised the possibility that specialized T cells could suppress the condition.

The German doctor and scientist was able to manufacture the cells (chimeric antigen receptors, or CARs) at his facility, and that’s half the battle. Another hurdle is the patient’s parents. “They were like, ‘Don’t do that, you’re crazy,'” said Fabian Müller, Schett’s collaborator at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. At the time, there was widespread concern that T cells could cause or exacerbate autoimmune diseases.

The rest of the story is an unusual science fairy tale about a patient getting better. Five years later, she is still in remission and working at the very clinic where she was treated. Her case forever changed the world of autoimmune disease, spurring massive experimentation and investment, and bringing new hope to millions of patients.

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