Autoimmune Diseases: Experts record success with pioneering donor cell therapy

In a groundbreaking medical breakthrough, a pioneering donor cell therapy has successfully induced sustained remission in patients with debilitating autoimmune diseases, offering new hope to millions worldwide.

This was disclosed on Monday by Nature, a weekly international journal publishing peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology.

Nature stated that three individuals with severe autoimmune conditions achieved complete remission.

The report states in part: “One woman and two men with severe autoimmune conditions have gone into remission after being treated with bioengineered and CRISPR-modified immune cells.

“The three individuals from China are the first people with autoimmune disorders to be treated with engineered immune cells created from donor cells, rather than ones collected from their own bodies”.

From disability to recovery

According to the publication, a 57-year-old Shanghai resident, identified simply as Gong, suffered from systemic sclerosis, a debilitating condition that stiffens skin and damages organs.

But just three days after receiving pioneering CAR T cell therapy, he experienced a remarkable turnaround, stating that his skin loosened, and he regained mobility in his fingers and mouth.

Within two weeks, he returned to his office job, and over a year later, he reports, “I feel very good.”

About engineered immune cell

Engineered immune cells, known as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, have proven in treating blood cancers– with six approved products in the US – CAR T cells now show promise in combating autoimmune conditions like lupus and multiple sclerosis.

These diseases arise when rogue immune cells release antibodies that attack the body’s own tissue.

Traditionally, CAR T cell therapy relies on a patient’s own immune cells, making it expensive and time-consuming due to personalisation.

According to them, to overcome the limitations of personalised CAR T cell therapy, scientists have turned to utilising donated immune cells adding that this innovative approach promises to revolutionise the treatment landscape by enabling pharmaceutical companies to scale up manufacturing, significantly reducing costs and production times.

According to an immunologist at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Lin Xin, a single donor’s cells could yield therapies for over 100 patients adding that instead of making one treatment for one person, therapies for more than a hundred people could be made from one donor’s cells.

Although donor-derived CAR T cells have been tested in cancer treatments with modest success, researchers are optimistic about their potential in combating autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases

The trial led by a Rheumatologist at Naval Medical University in Shanghai, Xu Huji, reported unprecedented success in treating autoimmune diseases using donor-derived CAR T cell therapy.

The findings, published in Cell last month, reveal that all recipients remained in remission over six months post-treatment.

Building on this momentum, an additional two dozen individuals have received the donor-derived treatment or a modified version, with largely positive outcomes, according to Mr Xu.

While experts acknowledge the promising results, they emphasised the need for further research to confirm the therapy’s safety and efficacy in a broader population.

A Rheumatologist at University Hospital Erlangen in Germany, Christina Bergmann, cautioned that: “The success and safety look promising, but we need to demonstrate this in many more people.”

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An Immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Daniel Baker, noted that if the donor-derived CAR T cell therapy succeeds in more people over an extended period, it “could prove paradigm shifting.”

With over 80 autoimmune diseases linked to malfunctioning immune cells, a successful treatment could revolutionise patient outcomes and quality of life. These diseases include lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes, among others.