For people living with autoimmune disease
Could a one-time infusion* of CAR T cell therapy change the way we treat autoimmune diseases?
CAR T cell therapy is now being studied in autoimmune diseases, including:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus, including lupus nephritis
- Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, including different forms of autoimmune myositis, such as antisynthetase syndrome, polymyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, and dermatomyositis
- Systemic sclerosis or scleroderma
- Multiple sclerosis (MS), including relapsing-remitting MS and progressive MS
- Myasthenia gravis (MG), including generalized MG
The immune system is the body’s natural defense system
T cells and B cells are immune cells that defend the body
The immune system protects the body from invaders, like bacteria or viruses, and harmful cells like cancer.
T cells and B cells are immune defenders. They detect and destroy these threats, while sparing healthy cells.
In autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks healthy tissues
Overactive B cells attack healthy cells
An overactive immune system is a key contributor to autoimmune diseases. Instead of attacking invaders, some B cells target healthy cells. Left alone, overactive B cells are free to continue their attack on the body's healthy tissues. If they are not stopped, the damage to the body can get worse over time.
CAR T cell therapy may be able to give the immune system a fresh start
An innovative treatment, CAR T cell therapy is now being studied in autoimmune diseases.
CAR T cell therapy—a type of immunotherapy—is a personalized medicine. It is made by collecting the patient’s
T cells, adding CARs to them, and then returning them to the patient’s body in a one-time infusion.
CARs act as sensors programmed to detect B cells
CAR=chimeric antigen receptor.
Inside the body, CARs act as sensors programmed to detect B cells—and only B cells. CARs give CAR T cells the power to search throughout the body to find B cells. CAR T cells find and destroy B cells, which may include overactive and healthy cells. By targeting B cells, CAR T cell therapy removes a key contributor to autoimmune diseases.
When CAR T cell therapy removes B cells, the body replaces them. The theory is that these healthy new B cells may “reset” the immune system and give it the potential for a fresh start, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.