New Cancer Treatment May Also Revolutionize Autoimmune Care
▼ Summary
– Jan Janisch-Hanzlik’s multiple sclerosis forced her to quit nursing, fear carrying her grandchildren, and move to a larger house for a potential wheelchair.
– She persistently contacted the University of Nebraska Medical Center until she was enrolled as the first patient in a CAR T cell therapy trial.
– CAR T therapy, originally for cancer, is now being tested in hundreds of trials for autoimmune diseases, aiming to eliminate self-targeting cells and reset the immune system.
– The therapy carries risks, including uncertainty about its effectiveness for autoimmunity, duration of benefits, and potential long-term side effects.
– Janisch-Hanzlik received the experimental treatment on June 9, 2025, feeling both hope and fear about monitoring for side effects like dangerous inflammation.
At 49, Jan Janisch-Hanzlik was watching multiple sclerosis strip away her independence. She transitioned from a physically demanding nursing career to a desk job after her symptoms became too severe. Everyday tasks turned treacherous: frequent falls made her terrified to hold her grandchildren, and she ultimately moved to a larger home to accommodate the wheelchair she feared would soon become a permanent necessity.
Conventional medications offered little relief, and Janisch-Hanzlik could only watch as her condition deteriorated. Upon discovering a clinical trial for CAR T cell therapy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, just a short drive from her home in Blair, she took matters into her own hands. She called the clinic every other month, persisting until they finally enrolled her as the very first patient.
Originally a breakthrough in oncology, CAR T therapy reprograms a patient’s own immune cells to hunt and destroy cancer. Now, hundreds of clinical trials are testing its potential against a wide range of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, lupus, Graves’ disease, and vasculitis. The core hypothesis is compelling: by targeting and eliminating the rogue immune cells that attack the body’s own tissues, CAR T could effectively reset the immune system to a pre-disease state, mirroring its success against certain blood cancers.
However, this promise is tempered by significant unknowns. Researchers are still grappling with questions about how effectively CAR T will work in the context of autoimmunity, how long any remission might last, and what long-term side effects could emerge. Janisch-Hanzlik understood these risks when she received the experimental infusion on June 9, 2025. As she sat down for the treatment, she was well aware that the following week would be spent under close monitoring for potentially dangerous side effects, including severe inflammation. It was a calculated leap into the unknown, driven by the hope of reclaiming the life she had lost.
(Source: Ars Technica)