Woman With 3 Autoimmune Diseases Cured in 7 Days
A bedridden woman with three life-threatening autoimmune conditions walked out of bed just one week after receiving a groundbreaking cell therapy treatment. Eleven months later, she's "perfectly fine" and living without medication.
A woman who spent years bedridden and dependent on blood transfusions to survive got out of bed seven days after a revolutionary treatment and hasn't needed medication since.
The German woman suffered from three different autoimmune diseases that started during pregnancy over a decade ago. Her immune system was destroying her red blood cells, attacking her platelets, and creating dangerous blood clots all at once.
Dr. Fabian Müller at the University Hospital of Erlangen in Germany treated her with CAR T-cell therapy, a technique previously used only for cancer. The team removed some of her immune cells, genetically modified them in a lab, and infused them back into her body where they eliminated the rogue cells attacking her.
Within a week, she was out of bed. Within months, she appeared fully recovered.
"I just saw her yesterday. She's perfectly fine," Müller said eleven months after her treatment. She's the first person to have three different autoimmune conditions treated simultaneously with this approach.
The treatment works by wiping out antibody-producing cells, including the harmful ones, while preserving older immune cells that protect against childhood infections and vaccinations. Her immune system then rebuilds itself without the cells that were making her sick.
Why This Inspires
CAR T-cell therapy for autoimmune diseases is showing promise far beyond this single success story. Researchers have successfully treated lupus, multiple sclerosis, colitis, and severe asthma using similar approaches.
The side effects that plague cancer patients receiving CAR T-cells aren't appearing in autoimmune patients. Müller believes this is because far fewer cells need to be destroyed.
"For a therapy that's very powerful to have very few side effects in this particular case, and then to result in resolution of the underlying condition, is pretty remarkable," says Dr. Reuben Benjamin at King's College London.
Most patients treated this way have remained disease-free, though some have needed a second treatment. Chinese researchers are currently conducting trials with 15 people suffering from autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
The treatment currently costs between $200,000 and $600,000, but those ongoing costs may be less than a lifetime of managing autoimmune conditions with drugs and transfusions.
This woman's recovery offers hope to millions living with autoimmune diseases that were once considered lifelong conditions.
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Based on reporting by New Scientist
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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