CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy for Refractory Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

This is a Phase I, single-center, open-label clinical trial evaluating the safety of autologous CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in patients with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by immune dysregulation and pathogenic autoantibody production, with B lymphocytes playing a central role in disease pathophysiology. Targeting CD19-expressing B cells represents a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with disease refractory to standard immunosuppressive therapies. Autologous CD19 CAR-T cells will be generated from peripheral blood T cells collected by leukapheresis. Cells will be genetically modified ex vivo to express a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor, expanded, and released for clinical administration following protocol-defined quality control testing and regulatory requirements. Participants will receive a lymphodepleting chemotherapy regimen prior to a single intravenous infusion of CD19 CAR-T cells. Treatment administration and post-infusion monitoring will be conducted according to the protocol-specified safety and observation plan. Following infusion, participants will be monitored for treatment-emergent adverse events, including CAR-T-associated toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity, cytopenias, and infections. Safety evaluations will include serial clinical assessments and laboratory monitoring. Exploratory assessments will evaluate immunological parameters, including B-cell depletion and reconstitution, autoantibody profiles, and selected biomarkers of disease activity. Participants will undergo longitudinal follow-up to assess early and delayed adverse events and the persistence of immunological effects, in accordance with regulatory guidance for gene-modified cell therapies.