SAEDNEWS: In the UK, a 37-year-old woman became the first person to receive revolutionary CAR-T cell therapy for multiple sclerosis—a treatment that could reset the immune system and halt disease progression.
According to SaedNews’ Science and Technology Desk, a 37-year-old woman in the UK with multiple sclerosis (MS) has become the first patient to receive a new treatment that doctors consider an innovative approach to managing the disease.
Emily Henders, who had not responded to existing MS medications, underwent CAR-T cell therapy. Until now, this method has mostly been used to treat certain blood cancers, but it is now being tested on a limited basis in patients with autoimmune diseases like MS.
The therapy involves extracting a portion of the patient’s T cells and genetically modifying them in the lab to target defective B cells that attack nerves and destroy the protective myelin coating. The modified cells are then reintroduced into the body, effectively resetting the immune system.
Sky News reports that Henders has suffered three paralyzing attacks over the past four years. Her father also uses a wheelchair due to MS, heightening her concerns about her own future.
The University College London Hospitals (UCLH) research team is leading this clinical trial, hoping the therapy can significantly slow—or even halt—the progression of MS. Dr. Clare Raddy, a hematology specialist and one of the developers of the therapy, explains:
"If we can identify and eliminate the faulty cells throughout the body, the immune system essentially returns to a healthy state."
The study is in its early clinical trial phase, with only 18 patients worldwide expected to participate. While the primary goal is to evaluate the therapy’s safety, researchers are also monitoring early immune responses.
Although initial results from testing this method in lupus patients have been promising, experts caution that it is still too early to confirm a definitive treatment for MS.
