Cancer Treatment Now Targets Autoimmune Diseases

Imagine trading a lifetime of medications for one treatment that could reset your immune system. That's the promise researchers are chasing as they adapt a powerful cancer therapy to fight autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Alicia Lieberman at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo is leading the charge to use CAR T-cell therapy against lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. The treatment, which has already shown remarkable success in eliminating certain cancers, works by training a patient's own immune cells to target and destroy problematic cells.

The approach could transform life for nearly one in 10 Americans living with autoimmune diseases. These conditions, where the body mistakenly attacks itself, typically require lifelong medication to manage symptoms like swollen joints, memory problems, and chronic pain.

CAR T-cell therapy extracts immune cells called T cells from a patient's blood. Scientists engineer these cells in a lab to recognize and eliminate B cells, the overactive immune cells driving many autoimmune conditions. The modified cells are then multiplied by the millions and returned to the patient through a single IV infusion.

"We're rethinking our approach to be able to offer an effective and safe immune reset," Dr. Lieberman explains. Working with colleague Dr. Shernan Holtan, the team hopes one infusion could train patients' bodies to fight back against autoimmune disease within weeks.

Denise Herkey-Jarosch, a 54-year-old Buffalo native diagnosed with MS at age 24, has spent three decades balancing medications and lifestyle changes. Despite treatment, she lives with permanent damage to different body parts.

"Having a medical campus here in Western New York where clinicians, patients, and researchers can collaborate and share information is just brilliant," says Herkey-Jarosch. "I'm thrilled this research is happening."

The Ripple Effect

The research extends beyond lupus and MS. Dr. Lieberman is studying bone marrow transplants for systemic sclerosis and exploring CAR T-cell therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, Sjogren's disease, and pediatric autoimmune conditions.

Early signals suggest the therapy might even reverse some existing damage. "The nervous system can be particularly difficult as far as repair after damage, but we are actually getting some early signals that there can be some reversal of damage and restoration of function," Dr. Lieberman notes.

The cells are processed in Roswell Park's expanded Good Manufacturing Practice facility, one of the largest of its kind in the United States. Its 20 sterile clean rooms provide the specialized equipment needed to transform this cancer breakthrough into an autoimmune solution.

The long-term vision is clear: people living free from daily medications, potentially cured rather than simply managed.