CAR-T Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis
CAR-T Cells Slow Down Severe RA
CAR-T cells are body’s own immune cells that have been genetically modified in the laboratory. This enables them to specifically recognize and eliminate certain B cells—immune cells that may contribute to inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
In a world-first clinical trial conducted by the team of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Krönke, head of Clinic for Rheumatology at Charité – Universitäsmedizin Berlin and liaison group leader at DRFZ, six patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis that was especially difficult to control were treated with CAR-T-Cell therapy. Disease activity decreased significantly in all of them; three patients remained in sustained remission without rheumatoid arthritis medication through the end of the follow-up period, which lasted up to one year. The results of the COMPARE study, initiated at Charité and involving scientists from the DRFZ, were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
