Reengineering Hope: CAR-T Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis

CAR-T therapy, short for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, is already transforming treatment for blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia and is now being tested in early trials for multiple sclerosis. In this approach, a person’s own T cells (or sometimes donor T cells) are collected and reengineered in the lab with a special “chimeric” receptor on their surface. Once infused back into the body, these “designer” T cells can specifically hunt down B cells, including those hiding in the brain and spinal cord that may drive progressive MS. This is a key difference since current B-cell depleting antibody treatments don’t reach effectively into the central nervous system.

Like any powerful therapy, CAR-T is not without risks. Side effects can include serious infections, cytokine release syndrome (fever, chills, body aches), and even neurological symptoms like confusion or seizures. Still, the early results in MS patients are remarkable, bringing fresh hope for those with progressive disease. Beyond MS, CAR-T is being explored across autoimmune neurological diseases from myasthenia gravis to stiff person syndrome, opening a promising new frontier in care.

This episode is sponsored by TG Therapeutics.

Jeffrey Dunn MD

Jeffrey Dunn MD is the Lily Sarafan Director of Neuroimmunology and serves as Clinical Professor and Chief of Neuroimmunology in the Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences at Stanford University. He has served as principal investigator in more than 30 clinical research trials authored numerous scientific publications, and is a multiple-time recipient of neurology residency teaching awards. Dr. Dunn earned his medical degree from Temple University and completed his neurology residency at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Amanda Piquet MD

Amanda Piquet MD is a Professor of Neurology and Céline Dion Foundation Endowed Chair at the University of Colorado, where she directs the Autoimmune Neurology Program. She received her medical degree from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, completed neurology residency training at Harvard, and pursued fellowship training in Autoimmune Neurology and Neuroimmunology at the University of Utah. Dr. Piquet’s research centers on autoimmune neurological disorders, with particular focus on autoimmune encephalitis and stiff person syndrome.