ZCH Completed the World's First CAR-T Treatment for Refractory Juvenile Dermatomyositis

On October 28 2024, the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZCH) had a breakthrough news: Qingqing (a nickname), the world's first CAR-T treatment for pediatric refractory juvenile dermatomyelitis (JDM) secondary Sjogren's syndrome, has successfully applied at ZCH. The girl is expected to be recovered by suffering for 8 years, now she doesn’t need taking the drug and was discharged from the hospital.

Lu Meiping, clinical project leader of CAR-T treatment for refractory juvenile dermatomyositis and director of Rheumatology and Immunology Department of ZCH, said: "Qingqing's successful drug withdrawal will bring new hope for other children with refractory juvenile dermatomyositis to completely get rid of the disease and drug dependence."

Refractory juvenile dermatomyositis is the most common autoimmune disease in children after systemic lupus erythematosus. The disease can cause inflammation of the child's skin and muscles, and may involve other systems such as the lungs and gastrointestinal tract, and the child has to rely on hormones, immunosuppressants and other drugs to alleviate the condition. However, at the same time, some children still do not respond well to these treatments, and the disease is repeatedly prolonged, skin ulcers/calcifications, severe lung interstitial lesions, gastrointestinal perforation, and eventually even life-threatening.

In June 2024, an article in the journal Arthritis Rheumatol reported the first successful case of JDM globally treated with anti-CD19 CAR T cells. In order to help more children with refractory juvenile dermatomyositis, Director Lu Meiping followed the international pace and led the rheumatology team to carry out the CAR-T treatment for pediatric refractory juvenile dermatomyositis project.