Three patients in the UK have received a”groundbreaking” treatment for lupus on the NHS , which experts hope could eradicate the need for lifelong drugs. Until now, CAR T-cell therapy in the UK has been used only in cancer patients, but researchers believe it could treat range of diseases including lupus and multiple sclerosis. The therapy works by genetically modifying cells to enable the body’s own immune system to recognise and attack problem cells, offering people a possible cure.
In the new NHS trial, led by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) and University College London (UCL), three patients have received CAR T-cell therapy for the most serious form of lupus, a condition that can be life-threatening and cause damage to the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys. Early indications are that the therapy – which only needs to be given once – could “revolutionise treatment” and remove the need for lifelong medication. In Germany, patients who underwent CAR T-cell therapy more than a year ago are now in remission and do not need to take lupus drugs.
The first British patient, a 32-year-old mother called Katherine, was treated at the National Institute for Health and Care Research Manchester Clinical Research Facility at Manchester Royal Infirmary in July. Two other UK patients have undergone treatment at UCLH, with one of them – 50-year-old Katie Tinkler – receiving CAR T on Wednesday this week. Mrs Tinkler, a mother of three from Guil.