CD19-Directed CAR-T Cell Therapy in Refractory Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

NCT07659704 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE1/PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 16

Last updated 2026-06-22

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues and organs. The disease can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, brain, and other organs, leading to significant health problems and reduced quality of life. Although several treatments are available, some patients continue to have active disease despite receiving standard therapies.

Recent research has shown that B cells, a type of immune cell, play a central role in the development and persistence of SLE. CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is an innovative treatment that uses a patient's own immune cells, genetically modified to recognize and eliminate B cells. This approach has already shown remarkable success in certain blood cancers and has recently produced encouraging results in patients with severe autoimmune diseases, including SLE.

The CLEVER-SLE study is a Phase I/II clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and potential effectiveness of CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy produced at Ribeirao Preto Blood Bank in patients with SLE who have not responded adequately to conventional treatments. Participants will undergo the collection of their own immune cells, which will be modified in a specialized laboratory to produce CAR-T cells. After receiving preparatory chemotherapy, participants will receive a single intravenous infusion of these CAR-T cells.

The main goal of this study is to evaluate the safety of this treatment. Researchers will also assess its effects on disease activity, symptoms, organ involvement, medication requirements, immune system markers, and the duration of clinical responses. The study aims to determine whether CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy can provide a new treatment option for patients with refractory SLE and contribute to the development of CAR-T therapies for autoimmune diseases.

Conditions

  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic

Interventions

BIOLOGICAL

Autologous CD19-Directed CAR-T Cells Manufactured at Ribeirão Preto Blood Center

Autologous CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells developed and manufactured at the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center (Hemocentro de Ribeirão Preto, Brazil). T lymphocytes collected by leukapheresis are genetically modified ex vivo using a lentiviral vector to express a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor and subsequently expanded under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions. Following standard lymphodepleting chemotherapy, participants receive a single intravenous infusion of the autologous CAR-T cell product. The therapy is intended to achieve deep and sustained depletion of CD19-positive B cells implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Regional Blood Center of Ribeirao Preto

    collaborator UNKNOWN
  • University of Sao Paulo

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
50 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-10-01
Primary Completion
2027-10-01
Completion
2028-10-01

Countries

  • Brazil

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07659704 on ClinicalTrials.gov