Lupus affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans and has no cure. Nine of every 10 people diagnosed are women between the ages of 15 and 44. For Rachel Dib, that reality lasted nearly two decades, until she enrolled in a clinical trial at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine testing a cancer treatment called CAR T-cell therapy.
The process works like this: doctors extract a patient’s T-cells, genetically reprogram them to target the autoreactive B cells driving the disease, then infuse them back after chemotherapy preconditioning. Researchers call it a “living drug” because it recruits the patient’s own immune system. Rachel says she felt renewed energy the day after her infusion, and more than a year later she can manage daily tasks with her children. Dr. Saira Sheikh, a rheumatologist at UNC, leads work that requires a full team: rheumatologist, oncologist, immunologist and nephrologist.
This is still a trial, so there are risks, unknowns, and serious cost questions. But for a chronic illness with limited options, it’s a genuine spark. Are you or someone you love affected by an autoimmune disease? Tell us your story in the comments.
