The Daring Doctor from Shanghai

Huji Xu’s recent study on cellular therapy for autoimmune diseases, published in September 2024, has introduced a novel approach that has shown promising results. Unlike previous CAR-T-cell therapies that used patient-derived cells, Xu’s trial used donor-derived cells, potentially allowing for mass production and cost reduction of the treatment. In the trial, patients suffering from autoimmune conditions experienced remarkable improvements after receiving engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells.

The three patients involved saw significant remission, with one reporting a newfound ability to perform basic tasks like lifting her arms and combing her hair just two weeks after receiving the treatment. Xu’s willingness to take on this innovative and high-risk trial has been recognized by his peers, including Du Bing, an immunologist who helped develop the CRISPR-edited T cells used in the study. Despite the success, experts like Georg Schett of the University Hospital Erlangen in Germany have emphasized the need for more extensive trials before the treatment can be widely adopted.

Xu’s journey began in the 1990s, when he first moved to Australia to pursue a PhD in immunology and rheumatology. His focus has remained on autoimmune diseases and their underlying mechanisms. After returning to Shanghai in 2008, Xu founded a large clinical and research center dedicated to rheumatology, where his interest in autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory myopathy and systemic sclerosis, led to the initiation of the CAR-T-cell trial.

Xu’s findings have generated significant excitement in the field of autoimmune treatment. The potential for donor-derived CAR T cells to treat conditions like lupus, arthritis, and other rheumatic diseases is now being explored in subsequent trials, including one in which Xu is collaborating with Xin Lin of Tsinghua University in Beijing. While Xu’s results are promising, experts caution that further research is necessary to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of this approach.

Xu’s innovative treatment strategy could revolutionize the way autoimmune diseases are treated, offering hope to individuals who currently have limited options. If proven effective in larger trials, this could pave the way for a more accessible and scalable treatment method, ultimately reducing the burden of autoimmune diseases on patients and healthcare systems worldwide. Xu’s team has already treated additional patients, and they are optimistic that CAR-T-cell therapy could eventually become available to those with even mild forms of autoimmune disorders, opening the door to widespread application of this promising technology.

Reference: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03895-0