Allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR-T cells induce remission in refractory systemic lupus erythematosus
Chunmei Yang, Chuanyin Sun, Binghe Tan, Chaosu Hu, Liyan Wan, Chris Wang, Xiujuan Shi, Juliang Qin, Na Zhang, Biao Zheng, Mingyao Liu, Jin Lin, Bing Du, Hongyan Tong
Abstract
Following the first clinical use of autologous CAR-T cell therapy in a patient with relapsed/refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), numerous clinical trials have been initiated to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy in B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 Allogeneic CAR-T cells, distinguished by their homogeneity, rapid availability, and potential for cost effectiveness, represent a promising therapeutic modality for autoimmune diseases. However, the risks of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), allogeneic rejection, potential genotoxic stress associated with gene editing, and infection risk due to over-immunosuppression limit the broader clinical application of current allogeneic CAR-T cell products. 6 In this study, we demonstrated that an allogeneic CD19-targeted CAR-T cell therapy is effective and safe in treating relapsed/refractory SLE, irrespective of prior neuropsychiatric involvement, using a reduced-intensity lymphodepletion regimen.