Annaiz Grimm, BS, on Using EngTregs to Treat Autoimmune Disease

“...CD19 CAR EngTregs can suppress the formation of plasma cells and the associated secretion of autoreactive antibodies, which we know are drivers of immune disease. In addition, these CAR EngTregs can suppress T cells, which we know are also important in driving disease. As such, this dual-arm approach might create a more efficacious treatment for a wider variety of patients.”

The traditional standard of care treatment for many autoimmune disease indications typically involves immunosuppressive therapy. Although this can help patients manage their conditions, it comes with drawbacks and does not address the root cause of their disease.

Cell therapy may hold potential transformative treatment options for patients with autoimmune disease. Indeed, a number of companies and academic institutions have already begun experimenting with the use of CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy, a modality that originally proved its mettle in the context of hematologic malignancies. The aim of CD19-directed CAR T therapy in autoimmune disease is to deplete the antibody-secreting B cells that are thought to be driving cause of disease in several autoimmune indications. Although this approach has shown promise, some institutions are exploring the potential of other cell therapy modalities for autoimmune disease.

For example, the lab of David Rawlings, MD, the director of the Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies at Seattle Children's Research Institute, is investigating the potential of engineered regulatory T-cells (EngTregs) to treat autoimmune disease. At the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 28th Annual Meeting, held May 13 to 17, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Annaiz Grimm, BS, a research scientist at Seattle Children's Research Institute, presented some of the lab’s work on this topic.

In an interview with CGTLive® at the conference held shortly before Grimm’s presentation, Grimm gave an overview of her talk and the big-picture implications of the research. At the end of the interview, she briefly summarized the work of Seattle Children's Research Institute in the autoimmune disease field and touched on some of the challenges facing the cell and gene therapy field in general.

Click here to view more coverage of the 2025 ASGCT Annual Meeting.

REFERENCE
1. Grimm B, McKinney B, Vakil A, et al. CD19 CAR EngTreg effectively modulate activated human B cells and antibody-secreting plasma cells. Presented at: ASGCT 28th Annual Meeting, held May 13 to 17, 2025, in New Orleans, LA. Abstract #428