The clue came, as they often do, from an unexpected source. Some sixteen months ago, a small study of five people in Germany pointed to a new direction for the high-profile field of cell therapy.
The study showed a cellular medicine could drive a tough-to-treat form of lupus into remission. While early, the finding suggested a technique used to create powerful cellular treatments for cancer might also work against autoimmune conditions like lupus, too.
“It’s very early days, but it’s exciting for the field to see this possibility,” said cell therapy pioneer and University of Pennsylvania immunologist Carl June, in an interview at the time.
