by Marta Koblanska, December 3, 2025, 21:00 Poland’s time, Photo: Imitation of neuronal structure, thanks to geralt, Pixabay
Degradation of the central nervous system caused by inflammation-induced lesions can be alleviated with genetically modified endurance cells CAR-T, according to the new research from China published in the Cell Press Journal.
Multiple sclerosis is a highly invasive disease that often starts with micro-injuries causing chronic inflammation within nerves, including the optic nerve. The first signs of the disease can be very mild and go unnoticed. They include, among all, inflammation, which is marked by the tissue firing, worsening of sight, eye pain, limbs’ stiffening, or an impression that electric shocks are touching the body, usually near the spine. The disease, in particular in heavy form, lacks sufficient/effective treatment. The consequence is a significant impairment; however, there are nowadays many options available to slow down the progression. Researchers in China have found that genetic modifications of immune cells (CAR-T lymphocytes), which are currently used to treat blood cancers like leukemia, may also aid in the remission of multiple sclerosis.
The results presented by the scientists could be particularly beneficial for individuals with progressive multiple sclerosis. The key factor is a specific receptor that acts as a binding site between genetically modified cells, which have been engineered to possess an additional receptor/binding site, and the subsets of B-cells. The depletion or impairment of these B-cell populations, caused by neuroinflammation—a major driver of disease progression—serves as a foundational element for maintaining the stability of the nervous system and ensuring effective signaling transmission.
Although the exact etiology ( of multiple sclerosis – MK’s note) remains unclear, emerging evidence implicates B cells in orchestrating compartmentalized neuroinflammation as a cardinal driver of disease progression through the production of autoantibodies, the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, antigen presentation, and the formation of ectopic lymphoid structures within the CNS (central nervous system), say Chuan Qin, Ming-Hao Dong, Luo-Qi Zhou, Chun-Rui Li, Dai-Shi Tian, Wei Wang and others in the study titled ,,Anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis.”
Multiple sclerosis harms neurons, which are the cells of the nervous system, particularly the brain. The harm stipulates depletion of myelin, a structure that secures the proper signal transmission between nervous cells, especially in the axon. Axon is the longer projection of the nervous cell, and the axonal loss due to chronic neuroinflammation induced by cytokine ejection leads to disability progression and in consequently, to brain atrophy. That can be visible in sight, limbs, or the sympathetic side of the central nervous system.
Is it really so simple to establish a connection between two cell types to stop the disease? Not necessarily. However, according to scientists from China, a small change—specifically the infusion of CAR-T cells—has significantly reduced cytokine release within 40 days, leading to noticeable functional improvement. The researchers reported that they observed a depletion of plasma cells in the central nervous system (CNS), prolonged expansion, and reduced exhaustion of CAR-T cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, as well as a decrease in microglial activation. The latter is particularly important because of its regulatory role in both intensifying and mediating neuroinflammatory responses, which can influence the progression or remission of the disease.
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