Advancing Autoimmune Care: Insights from Sheba’s CAR T-Cell Therapy Webinar
A few weeks ago, Sheba Medical Center hosted “CAR T-Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases: A New Era,” a webinar that brought together medical professionals from around the world. Moderated by Mika Amram, Director of Global Patient Services, the session opened with recognition of Sheba’s recent accolade from Newsweek as one of the world’s top ten smart hospitals, a testament to the institution’s commitment to innovation-driven care.
The webinar continued with spotlighting Sheba’s groundbreaking work in extending CAR T-cell therapy, a research treatment initially developed for blood cancers, into the realm of autoimmune diseases, offering new hope for patients with refractory conditions. “This breakthrough represents years of pioneering research at Sheba,” she shared, “where we’ve leveraged our rare in-house CT manufacturing capabilities to extend this revolutionary theory therapy beyond hematological malignancies into immune autoimmune diseases.”
Introduction to CAR-T Therapy
Prof. Elad Jacoby, Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist and Director of Cell Therapy at Sheba, guided attendees through the evolution of CAR T-cell therapy, from its origins in the 1980s to current applications in blood cancers.
“This was initiated back in 2016 before CAR T-cells were approved by any agencies,” Prof. Jacoby noted. Using a CD28 co-stimulated CAR-T design, the team achieved an 80% remission rate in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and approximately 50% long-term survival. In adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma, more than half of refractory patients responded, with the majority experiencing durable remissions.
These clinical outcomes in oncology established the foundation for extending the therapy to autoimmune conditions.
Application to Autoimmune Diseases
Prof. Merav Lidar, Director of Sheba’s Rheumatology Unit, presented clinical evidence of CAR T-cell therapy’s application in autoimmune conditions, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma. Her research demonstrated that immune reprogramming could help patients with refractory autoimmune diseases achieve sustained remission.
As she explained, “B cells are central to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. They secrete cytokines, act as antigen-presenting cells, and participate in B- and T-cell co-stimulation.” She emphasized that while current therapies are effective, “there is a part of the population of patients with autoimmune diseases who are refractory, and these patients should be offered therapy with CAR T cells.” This therapy “may potentially reset their immune system and allow them to enter drug-free remission or at least low disease activity on therapies to which they did not respond prior.” Prof. Lidar described this as a “paradigm shift,” where treating patients earlier in disease progression could “preserve organ function and restore quality of life” by reprogramming the immune system to achieve sustained remission.
Together, Profs. Jacoby and Lidar illustrated how Sheba’s interdisciplinary research is advancing immune-based therapeutics for both malignant and autoimmune conditions.
Webinar Attendance and International Participation
The webinar attracted several hundred live participants from 34 countries, with more than 800 total registrants representing 65 nations. Attendees included physicians, nurses, academics, and healthcare leaders from leading medical institutions.
The international response reflected growing clinical interest in CAR T-cell therapy applications and Sheba’s collaborative research network.
As one participant expressed, “Thank you very much for your kind response and for organizing the insightful webinar on CAR T-Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases. As a biology specialist working in a clinical laboratory, I found the session highly informative and relevant to my field.” This engagement underscores the shared commitment to advancing therapies that help people with refractory autoimmune diseases, offering new hope through innovative immune system reprogramming and expert care.
Looking Ahead: Advancing Global Care
As Sheba Medical Center continues to advance research and clinical excellence, it remains equally committed to improving access to quality healthcare worldwide. The “CAR T-Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases” webinar reflected that mission in action, sharing both the hope and the possibilities that come with breakthrough innovation.
Rooted in Sheba’s guiding principle of ‘Hope Without Boundaries,’ this global collaboration extends the benefits of medical discovery to patients and professionals everywhere. Sheba continues to turn innovation into impact and discovery into care, advancing medicine toward a healthier future for all.
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