Seattle Children’s announced the initiation of a new clinical trial involving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for patients younger than age 18 years with systemic lupus erythematosus. Pediatric patients account for about 20% of lupus cases and may be at greater risk of experiencing more severe disease. Although there have been recent advancements in the treatment of lupus, many patients may not achieve durable remission or respond to standard therapies. The REACT-01 trial—which is the first U.S.-based clinical trial studying CAR T-cell therapy for pediatric lupus—is expected to launch in the summer of 2024. “Our hope is that this therapy holds the potential to put patients with [lupus] into true remission without the need for ongoing medications,” concluded Shaun Jackson, MD, PhD, of Seattle Children’s.