BCMA-CD19 cCAR T Cell Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) is a chronic diffuse connective tissue disease with unexplained etiology that can involve multiple systems in the body. SLE is considered as an incurable disease and traditional SLE treatment aims at long-term remission. Glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressive agents are still the main treatment strategies. Recently, biological agents targeting abnormal immune cells, such as rituximab and belimumab, which deplete B cells have also achieved some success in the treatment of SLE. However, these agents cannot permanently reverse the production of abnormal antibodies as they are unable to eliminate pathogenic long-lived plasma cells. The BCMA-CD19 CAR T-cells are designed to deplete antibody-producing 'root", B cells and plasma cells.