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CAR T-Cell Therapy for Lupus Treatment

Autoimmune diseases Cell & Gene Therapy Clinical Phase 1

Project Title:

 

Project Description

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a groundbreaking treatment in which a patient’s T cells are collected, engineered to target disease-causing cells, and reinfused to kill cancer cells. VinUni and Vinmec have successfully conducted Vietnam’s first clinical trial using in-house CAR T-cells for hematological cancers. Building on this achievement, this new project aims to develop a potentially curative treatment for lupus, offering patients long-term remission without continuous immunosuppression.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, leading to inflammation and organ damage. Traditional treatments, including corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biological drugs, require lifelong medication and often come with significant side effects. CAR-T cells, originally developed for cancer treatment, is emerging as a promising strategy for lupus by selectively eliminating autoreactive B cells that drive the disease.

Significance

VinUni and Vinmec have successfully conducted Vietnam’s first (and only) clinical trial using in-house produced CAR T-cells to treat patients with hematological cancers. Building on this achievement, this new project aims to develop a potentially curative treatment for lupus, offering patients long-term remission without continuous immunosuppression. Early clinical trials have demonstrated complete resolution of symptoms in severe lupus cases with organ damage, suggesting that this therapy could transform autoimmune disease management in the near future.

Goals

To advance CAR T-cell therapy for lupus in Vietnam, we aim to:

  1. Produce CAR T-cellstailored for Vietnamese patients with severe SLE.
  2. Conduct a Phase I clinical trialto evaluate the safety and efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy for severe SLE.
  3. Analyze CAR T-cell effectson autoreactive B and plasma cells in lupus patients.

Innovation

  1. A novel treatment approachspecifically targeting lupus patients.
  2. In-house CAR T-cell productionin Vietnam, reducing costs to approximately 20% of commercial products available in the U.S.
  3. Cutting-edge technologiesfor analyzing the effects of CAR T-cells on pathogenic cells responsible for SLE.