A team of researchers from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China have developed a treatment for allergic asthma using CAR-T cells that resulted in remission of the disease’s signs and symptoms in mice for at least a year with a single injection. The study, published in the journal Nature Immunology, shows promise as a potential avenue for long-term remission of asthma.
While the effectiveness of this treatment still needs to be tested in humans, CAR-T cell therapy could be a promising approach for managing chronic asthma. This therapy involves modifying T lymphocytes (white blood cells) in the laboratory to enable them to identify and target specific cells, such as tumor cells in cancer patients. In this study, Min Peng and his team used CAR-T cell therapy to treat allergic asthma by administering a single dose to mouse models with allergic asthma. By targeting eosinophils, a type of white blood cell involved in allergic responses, the treatment successfully suppressed lung inflammation and relieved asthma symptoms. It was observed that the CAR-T cells persisted for at least a year and continued to prevent allergic immune responses.
The findings of this study have been praised by José Gregorio Soto Campos, a pulmonology and allergy expert, as it offers new possibilities for treating asthma with CAR-T cell therapy. Additionally, this research opens up new opportunities for utilizing CAR-T cell therapy in other allergic diseases. With further research and clinical trials, this innovative approach could revolutionize the management of allergic conditions and provide long-term relief for patients worldwide.
