Overview
- Researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street engineered universal CAR-T cells using base editing to create BE-CAR7 cells that target CD7 on malignant T cells.
- In the first 11 patients treated at Great Ormond Street and King’s College, nine reached complete remission that enabled subsequent stem‑cell transplantation.
- Seven patients remain disease‑free for periods ranging from three months to three years, according to the New England Journal of Medicine publication.
- The treatment ablates the existing immune system, infuses the edited cells, then proceeds to bone marrow transplant if no leukemia is detected at roughly four weeks.
- Key risks reported include severe infections during prolonged immune suppression, with two relapses occurring after the leukemia lost the CD7 target, indicating the need for larger trials and longer follow‑up.