CAR T-Cell Therapy
A New Approach to Treating Multiple Sclerosis
Our group is committed to improving outcomes for people living with progressive forms of MS where disability can worsen over time despite current treatments.
While many therapies are available for relapsing MS, there remains a significant unmet need for effective treatments in progressive disease.
A NEW APPROACH
CAR T-cell therapy is an innovative treatment that can “reprogram” immune cells so that - instead of targetting viruses and bacteria - they target other cells responsible for causing worsening in MS. In progressive forms of MS, the inflammation becomes chronic and compartmentalised within the central nervous system, and it continues to drive gradual disability. CAR T-cell therapies are designed to target these immune processes with greater precision than currently available immune therapies.
A high level explanation of CAR T-Cell Therapy
1 / Sample Collection
Collecting a small sample of a patient’s own immune cells from the blood
2 / Cell Modification
Modifying these cells in the laboratory to carry a specialised receptor (called a chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR) that can recognise and target immune cells involved in MS
3 / Chemotherapy
Giving the patient a form of chemotherapy, to make space for the CAR T-cells to proliferate and work
4 / Cell Return
Returning these cells to the patient through an infusion, where they can help remove the harmful cells causing worsening in MS
STUDY FOUNDATIONS
This approach has already transformed care in some cancers and is now being explored in autoimmune diseases such as MS.
Why this may be important for progressive MS
Current MS treatments mainly act on inflammation in the bloodstream. However, in progressive MS, immune activity can persist within the brain and spinal cord.
CAR T-cell therapies have the potential to:
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Target specific immune cells driving ongoing inflammation
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Act on compartmentalised CNS inflammation linked to disability progression
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Provide a long-lasting effect after a single treatment
While promising, this remains an experimental approach that requires careful evaluation in clinical trials. The treatment process is more involved than standard therapies and includes multiple hospital visits, collection of immune cells, a waiting period while the cells are modified, a prolonged admission to receive chemotherapy and the cell product, followed by prolonged monitoring afterwards for side effects.
CURRENT CLINICAL TRIALS
We are currently recruiting to two CAR T-cell therapy trials. These both are evaluating CAR-T products that target CD19 on B cells (which we believe contribute to a significant proportion of disability worsening in MS). The main aim is to assess safety and tolerability, while we are also looking for early signs of effectiveness. Participants will be followed for up to two years, with assessments of disability progression, walking ability, hand function, and cognition.