Emerging Cell-Based Therapies for Systemic Sclerosis: From Stem Cells to CAR-T Cells

Area of Science:

• Immunology and Rheumatology
• Cellular and Molecular Medicine
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by immune cell dysfunction, autoantibody production, vascular damage, and progressive fibrosis in organs.
• The complex pathogenesis of SSc involves diverse immune and stromal cells, mediators, and aberrant tissue repair, leading to varied clinical presentations and poor outcomes.
• Current therapies for SSc offer limited efficacy, often only slowing progression and causing adverse effects, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in cell-based therapeutic strategies for Systemic sclerosis.
• To explore the potential of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, and regulatory T cell transfer.
• To highlight the emerging role of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy in treating SSc.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on cell-based therapies for Systemic sclerosis.
• Analysis of recent progress in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy.
• Evaluation of adoptive regulatory T cell (Treg) transfer and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy applications in SSc.

Main Results:

• Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, and adoptive regulatory T cell transfer are evolving strategies for SSc.
• Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is emerging as a potentially transformative approach for SSc.
• These cell-based strategies aim to restore immune tolerance and enhance tissue repair mechanisms in SSc.

Conclusions:

• Cell-based therapies offer a promising avenue for treating Systemic sclerosis by addressing immune dysregulation and fibrosis.
• Emerging strategies like CAR-T cell therapy hold significant potential to revolutionize SSc treatment.
• These advanced therapeutic approaches may improve patient survival, achieve long-term remission, and enhance quality of life in SSc.