Ep 113 - What is CAR-T Therapy?

CAR-T Therapy is one of the most talked about advances in autoimmune research today, offering new hope for people living with AiArthritis diseases such as lupus, myositis, scleroderma, and Sjögren’s. In this episode, co-hosts Leila P.L. Valete, AiArthritis Health Education Manager, and Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, CEO and Original Founder of AiArthritis, explain what CAR-T is, how it works, and why it matters.

They walk through the treatment process step by step from collecting a person’s own immune cells, to reprogramming them in a lab and reintroducing them so the immune system can reset. This episode highlights promising results from early clinical trials including patients reaching remission and stopping other medications, while also addressing safety, access, and what is still unknown.

Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, researcher, or advocate, this episode explains what’s happening in CAR-T research and why it could represent a major shift in how AiArthritis diseases are treated.

 

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Episode Highlights:

• What CAR-T Therapy is and how it works with AiArthritis diseases
• Why B cells are an important target in conditions like lupus and Sjögren’s
• Early results from clinical trials showing remission and organ improvement
• Safety considerations for patients in CAR-T studies
• Who may qualify now through trials, and what wider access could look like in the future
• How to stay informed on CAR-T research

 

Links & Resources:

• Sign up for Go With Us! to Conferences program: www.aiarthritis.org/gowithus
• Sign up for the Research Database: www.aiarthritis.org/database
• Have questions about this episode or topics you want to hear us bring to the table? Email us at [e-mail] 

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Connect with our Co Hosts:

Leila is the Health Education Manager at the International Foundation for AiArthritis. She is a person living with Lupus and Sjögren’s disease. She is passionate about inclusion and diversity in health education and meeting individuals where they are at in order to learn in a way that resonates with them.

Connect with Leila:

    Instagram: @lupus.lifestyle.lei

     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leila-pl-valete/

      Facebook: @leilaaiarthritis

     TikTok: @lupus.lifestyle.lei

 

Tiffany is the CEO at International Foundation for AiArthritis and uses her professional expertise in mind-mapping and problem solving to help others, like her, who live with AiArthritis diseases work in unison to identify and solve unresolved community issues.

Connect with Tiffany:

• Facebook: @tiffanyAiArthritis
• Twitter: @TiffWRobertson
• LinkedIn: @TiffanyWestrichRobertson