This month at H\u00f4pital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (HMR), a first patient has received an allogeneic CAR-T therapy as part of an international clinical trial aimed at treating severe autoimmune diseases that are refractory to standard treatments, such as lupus, myositis, and scleroderma. HMR’s cellular therapy and transplantation clinical research unit is the only site in Canada participating in this study, called Resolution.<\/p>\n
Already used for several years to treat certain cancers of the blood and immune system, the CAR-T cells being tested in this project are highly innovative. This is an allogeneic approach: the cells come from healthy donors rather than from the patient themselves. These cells, unaffected by the disease or chemotherapy treatments, can be prepared in advance and made available without delay \u2014 unlike traditional approaches, which require several weeks of manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Led by Dr. Nicolas Richard, rheumatologist, in collaboration with Dr. Imran Ahmad, hematologist \u2014 both Associate Clinical Professors in the Department of Medicine at Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al \u2014 this project brings together a highly specialized team in cellular therapy and transplantation. The Phase 1 trial is designed to evaluate the safety of this promising approach over the coming years.<\/p>\n