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'I've never been this good' – revolutionary immune reset puts lupus in remission

James GallagherHealth and science correspondent
BBC A woman sitting indoors in what appears to be a kitchen setting. She has short, light-coloured hair and is wearing a plain white short-sleeved top, positioned in the foreground and facing the camera. Behind the person, there are light-coloured cabinets, a countertop, and kitchen items such as jars, a kettle, and a vase containing yellow flowers, all slightly out of focus. The lighting is warm and soft, illuminating the person’s face while creating a gentle blur in the background.BBC
Katie Tinkler, one of the first patients treated

An experimental treatment that resets a malfunctioning immune system has put the disease lupus into remission in early UK trials.

Experts say the approach could potentially treat similar disorders including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

One of the first patients, Katie Tinkler, said she had "never been this good" since being diagnosed 30 years ago.

She once struggled to walk with her children, but can now ski and is off all lupus medication. The disease, which affects around 50,000 in the UK, sees the immune system attack the body.

Women make up 90% of people with lupus in the UK and tend to be diagnosed as young adults.

When the immune system attacks the body, it causes joint pain, skin conditions and damage to organs including the kidneys.

Katie was diagnosed in 1993 when she was 20. She refused to let the condition take over her life and even worked as a fitness instructor, but always had a packet of steroids tucked away in case of a flare up.

Two people walking across a wide, open grassy field under a bright blue sky filled with large white clouds. One person is holding the lead of a brown dog, which is walking slightly ahead with its tongue out and tail raised. Both individuals are dressed casually in long trousers and light layers, suggesting mild outdoor weather conditions. The background features a line of green trees and shrubs, creating a natural and peaceful setting.
Katie walking Solo along with her daughter Evie

When I met her in her kitchen in Surrey, glitterball dangling from the ceiling, she told me flare ups in her hands left her struggling to lift a cup of tea and she would need to take drugs 45 minutes before getting out of bed in the morning, otherwise it would be too painful.

The disease became much more aggressive in the past decade, which has been "pretty horrendous" and Katie needed long spells in hospital. Her lupus was damaging her heart, lungs and kidneys, leaving her on the cusp of needing dialysis.

"Lupus at its worst was in bed, unable to move, going downhill rapidly, possibly dying…now I'm living," she told me.

But speaking to Katie, a year-and-a-half after her experimental treatment, she has the energy and zest for life of a woman reborn.

"It's amazing. I'm living like a normal person, I'm literally saying yes to anything. I sort of forgot that you could feel this good," she said.

The difference is an experimental treatment Katie had to reset her immune system at University College London Hospitals.

It works by engineering a civil war within the immune system – to get one part to destroy the part causing disease.

The graphic titled “How the therapy works” is a multi-panel medical illustration showing a step-by-step process inside blood vessels, using red cylindrical tube shapes to represent the bloodstream and circular icons labelled “B” and “T” to represent B cells and T cells. In the top-left panel, blue T cells and grey B cells are shown circulating together with the caption, “B and T cells in blood defend the body against infection,” establishing the normal immune system function. In the top-right panel, some B cells are highlighted in purple to indicate “rogue B-cells,” accompanied by text explaining that these abnormal cells can attack the body and cause autoimmune disease. The middle section shows a simplified lab-like circle containing T cells, alongside the text “Scientists change T cells' targeting mechanism to attack B-cells and put them back in patient,” indicating that T cells are engineered to target all B cells. In the next panel, modified T cells are shown destroying both normal and rogue B cells inside the bloodstream, with the caption “T-cells wipe out rogue and healthy B-cells.” Finally, the bottom panel shows the bloodstream repopulated with new B cells and T cells, with the text “Months later, fresh B cells grow – resetting immune system,” illustrating recovery and immune system reset, and a small note at the bottom credits “Source: BBC research” along with a BBC logo.

Two types of white blood cells are involved - the B cells and T cells which normally protect the body from infection.

But in lupus, and other autoimmune diseases, the B cells go rogue and produce antibodies that can attack the body.

So scientists took millions of Katie's own T cells and genetically modified them in the laboratory. Their targeting mechanism was changed so now they attack B cells and these are put back in the body.

Once inside, the T-cells destroy both the rogue and healthy B cells. But months later new healthy B cells grow – effectively resetting the immune system.

Katie Tinkler The image shows a close-up of a medical fluid bag hanging from a metal stand with several curved hooks. The transparent bag contains a deep reddish liquid pooled in the lower half, with condensation droplets visible on the inside surface. At the bottom of the bag, there are two outlet tubes connected, with the liquid visible inside one of them. The stand is made of shiny metal with multiple arms designed to hold equipment securely in place. The background is plain and clinical, suggesting a healthcare environment such as a hospital or treatment room.Katie Tinkler
Katie's T cells had to be harvested from her blood before being modified and put back into her body.

There were no guarantees it would work and Katie remembers a letter to her GP explaining "she knows she might die" because of the risks involved.

And it was a gruelling processes that also involved chemotherapy to prevent the modified T-cells being rejected.

But Katie had the treatment in November 2024 and is still well, no longer needs medication for her lupus and her organs have recovered.

"I can live to an old lady with these kidneys and that is phenomenal. My heart's much better, my lungs much better. My blood disorder is no longer there," she said.

Katie Tinkler The image shows three people standing together on a snowy mountain landscape under a clear, bright blue sky. All three individuals are wearing winter sports gear, including helmets, goggles with reflective lenses, insulated jackets, and snow trousers, and each is standing on skis or a snowboard. The person on the left stands on a snowboard, while the two individuals on the right are positioned on skis, with one of them holding a ski pole. Behind the group, there are snow-covered mountain peaks and ridges stretching across the background, with the sunlight shining strongly from above and slightly behind them. The bright sun creates sharp shadows on the snow and highlights the crisp texture of the slopes, giving the scene a vivid, high-contrast appearance with clear visibility and expansive scenery.Katie Tinkler
Katie has been skiing for the first time in a decade

Out of the first six patients treated, five are still in remission. One has improved symptoms, but had a lupus flare after 11 months.

The team, presenting data at the EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology, said their patients were still well after more than 18 months.

However, it is still uncertain how long the treatment will last before the lupus returns and how successful it will be when trialled in more patients.

Dr Maria Leandro, a consultant rheumatologist at UCLH, told BBC News: "If we were to have patients in remission for three-to-five years consistently, that would be a major gain in lupus, it may be longer than that, but we'll have to wait and see.

"This is clearly a significant step forward towards a possible cure, so it is very exciting."

This approach – known as CAR-T or chimeric antigen receptor T-cells – is already an approved treatment in blood cancers including some leukaemias and lymphomas.

This is some of the earliest data suggesting the approach can also be used in autoimmune disease.

Many of these diseases work in a similar way to lupus. It means there is the potential for CAR-T therapy to be used more widely to target errant B cells.

The image shows a person positioned in the foreground of what appears to be a laboratory or research workspace. The person is wearing a white lab coat with visible text on the chest reading “UCL,” and a pair of glasses is resting on top of the person’s head. The background contains various scientific items, including a colourful DNA double-helix model, containers, and laboratory equipment arranged on a work surface. On the right side of the image there are bright objects such as a green rack and a container with a yellow lid, adding contrast to the otherwise neutral environment.
Dr Claire Roddie is researching CAR-T therapy

Dr Claire Roddie, from UCL, told BBC News: "We're really excited about the potential of CAR-T cell therapy for autoimmune diseases.

"Multiple sclerosis would be one condition, we've got a clinical study running right now, and rheumatoid arthritis, for instance, huge number of patients affected by this disorder... huge potential."

Katie does not know how long the treatment will last, but she is taking every opportunity she can.

"I want to climb mountains, I'd love to do Kilimanjaro, I'd love to do a triathlon again, I just want to participate, and I want to say yes to as many things as I possibly can."