Allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy in autoimmune diseases

Emerging evidence demonstrates the potential efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in autoimmune diseases. Currently, this therapy relies primarily on patient-derived autologous CAR-T cells. However, the application of autologous CAR-T cells is hindered by several limitations, such as high costs, time-consuming, and vulnerability to failure during the manufacturing process. Allogeneic CAR-T cells are genetically engineered T cells derived from healthy donors that hold great promise for expanding the accessibility of CAR-T cell therapy and may overcome the limitations of autologous CAR-T cells. Recent studies with small sample sizes have suggested the potential of allogeneic CAR-T cells in autoimmune diseases. These results have motivated researchers and physicians to further investigate the application of allogeneic CAR-T cells. In this review, we discuss the development of allogeneic CAR-T cells, current studies on CAR-T cell therapy for autoimmune diseases, and potential toxicities of allogeneic CAR-T cells. In addition, we discuss current challenges and future directions for implementing this therapy in clinical practice.