Cell therapy and autoimmune diseases: application prospects and challenges

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) refer to a pathological condition in which the body's immune tolerance mechanism is disrupted or fails to function properly, leading to damage or dysfunction of its own tissues. Most AIDs are chronic and recurrent, severely affecting patients' quality of life and ability to work. Currently, there is no curative treatment for AIDs; conventional strategies mainly focus on suppressing immune responses and managing symptoms. However, long-term use of these approaches often leads to significant adverse reactions, and some patients respond poorly to therapy. Therefore, new, safe, and effective treatments are urgently needed. Cell therapy, which involves collecting cells via conventional or bioengineering methods, expanding or modifying them in vitro under specific conditions, and then reinfusing them into the body, has emerged as a promising treatment approach.

This review summarizes current cell-based therapeutic strategies, their clinical applications, and the key challenges in the context of AIDs.

Recent studies have reported remarkable outcomes with cell therapy across various diseases, making it a major research focus. Notably, cell therapy offers distinct advantages for treating AIDs, including targeted immune regulation and the potential for durable remission. Nevertheless, it also faces challenges such as complex manufacturing processes, high costs, safety concerns, and variable efficacy.

Cell therapy is a promising treatment approach for AIDs. However, further research is needed to overcome its current limitations and establish its safety and efficacy in clinical practice.