Lupus patient hails pioneering CAR-T trial as ‘best decision I ever made’
Cambridge becomes first in the world to launch larger trial after early patient sees life-changing results from one-off treatment
A woman who became one of the first people in the world to receive an experimental CAR-T cell therapy for lupus says joining the pioneering clinical trial was "the best decision I ever made."
Laura, 37, had lived with severe lupus since she was diagnosed at 14. Despite trying numerous treatments over two decades – including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and previous clinical trials – her condition continued to worsen, causing constant joint pain, skin damage and repeated hospital stays.
She received the one-off CAR-T treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in summer 2025 as part of a Phase I trial. One year later, she says the therapy has transformed her life.
"This is the first time since I was a teenager that I've really felt healthy. I've tried so many treatments over the years but nothing else has given me back so much freedom and control for so long."
Reflecting on the treatment, Laura added: "The CAR-T treatment was my last hope. It's a tough treatment to go through and I was quite ill for a while afterwards but now, a year later, I'd say it's the best decision I ever made."
Doctors at Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) say Laura's lupus had proved particularly difficult to treat using conventional therapies, making her a suitable candidate for the experimental approach.
Professor David Jayne, a lupus specialist at CUH, said: "Laura's case is especially challenging and has proven unusually resistant to standard treatments. The CAR-T trial was an opportunity to try something new and we're very pleased to see how well Laura is doing following the treatment."
The hospital has now become the first in the world to begin recruiting patients into a larger Phase II trial of the therapy, developed by UK biotech company Autolus. Researchers hope the treatment could provide long-lasting, or even lifelong, relief for people with severe lupus.
CAR-T therapy works by collecting a patient's immune cells, modifying them in a laboratory and returning them to the bloodstream, where they target the harmful immune cells responsible for the disease. Originally developed to treat certain blood cancers, the technology is now being explored for autoimmune conditions including lupus.
Around one in every 1,000 people is affected by systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage the joints, skin, kidneys, heart and other organs. While existing treatments can help control symptoms, some patients continue to experience severe illness despite multiple therapies.
Clinicians hope the expansion of the trial will give more patients access to a promising treatment while helping establish whether CAR-T therapy can offer a durable new option for people living with treatment-resistant lupus.