Woman with Three Autoimmune Diseases Achieves Remission After CAR-T Cell Therapy in Germany

A 47-year-old woman diagnosed with three life-threatening autoimmune diseases achieved remission following CAR-T cell therapy administered at University Hospital Erlangen in Germany. The patient had suffered from severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome for more than a decade.

Prior to the therapy, she required daily blood infusions and blood-thinning medication after unsuccessful treatments.

The therapy involved extracting the patient's white blood cells, isolating T-cells, and engineering them to target the CD19 protein on B-cells. These modified T-cells were re-infused into the patient. CAR-T cell therapy, which uses a patient's own immune cells to attack harmful cells, is approved for treating certain cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.

week after the treatment, the patient received her final blood transfusion.

Two weeks later, she reported feeling stronger. Three weeks post-treatment, her hemoglobin levels doubled and normalized, indicating that her immune system was no longer destroying red blood cells. The therapy also addressed her other conditions.

Levels of antiphospholipid antibodies, linked to blood clot risks, decreased and remained negative. Platelet counts stabilized, reducing bleeding risks associated with ITP. The patient has been in treatment-free remission for just over a year.

Although she has lower white blood cell counts and mild elevations in liver enzymes, the medical team attributes these to prior treatments rather than the CAR-T therapy.

The case details were published in a medical journal.

Autoimmune diseases like AIHA, ITP, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome affect immune function, leading to risks of anemia, bleeding, and clotting. This case highlights CAR-T therapy's potential for severe autoimmune cases, though it remains experimental for these indications.

Further studies are needed to assess broader applicability, with ongoing monitoring for the patient's long-term health.