A groundbreaking study published in Nature Immunology has revealed promising results in the treatment of asthma using engineered long-lived and multifunctional T cells. The research, conducted by a team of scientists led by Gang Jin, demonstrated that a single infusion of these specially designed T cells led to a durable remission of asthma in mice.
Asthma is a prevalent respiratory disease affecting over 300 million people worldwide and resulting in more than 250,000 deaths annually. The study focused on type 2-high asthma, characterized by interleukin (IL)-5-driven eosinophilia, airway inflammation, and remodeling caused by IL-4 and IL-13.
The researchers engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting IL-5 and depleted BCOR and ZC3H12A to create what they termed immortal-like and functional IL-5 CAR T cells (5TIF) cells. These cells were further modified to secrete an IL-4 mutein that blocks IL-4 and IL-13 signaling, known as 5TIF4 cells.
In mouse models of asthma, a single infusion of 5TIF4 cells in fully immunocompetent mice resulted in sustained suppression of lung inflammation and alleviation of asthmatic symptoms without the need for any conditioning regimen. This breakthrough suggests that asthma, a chronic disease, could potentially be put into long-term remission with just one dose of these engineered CAR T cells.
The study’s findings offer hope for the future of asthma treatment and highlight the potential of immunotherapy in managing respiratory diseases. Further research and clinical trials will be needed to explore the efficacy and safety of this novel approach in human patients.
