Engineered immune cells take aim at myasthenia gravis

NCT ID NCT04146051

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Cartesian Therapeutics Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 14, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026

Summary

This Phase 2 trial is testing an experimental therapy called Descartes-08 for people with generalized myasthenia gravis, a condition that causes muscle weakness. Descartes-08 uses a patient's own immune cells, engineered to target and potentially reduce the harmful immune cells that drive the disease. The study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of this approach, comparing it against a placebo in some participants.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Descartes-08, a personalized CAR T-cell therapy that targets BCMA on immune cells
What this could lead to: If successful, this could offer a new treatment option for generalized myasthenia gravis, potentially reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.
What could go wrong: This is an early-stage trial with a small number of participants. The therapy may not work for everyone, and there are risks associated with CAR T-cell treatments, such as immune reactions.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

myasthenia gravis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

MYASTHENIA GRAVIS, GENERALIZED

Contacts and locations

Locations

Allegheny Health Network

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15212, United States
Dent Neurologic Institute

Amherst, New York, 14226, United States
Neurology Associates, P.A.

Orlando, Florida, 32751, United States
Oregon Health & Science University

Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States
Profound Research

Carlsbad, California, 92011, United States
SFM Clinical Research, LLC

Boca Raton, Florida, 33487, United States
University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta, T6G2C8, Canada
University of Augusta

Augusta, Georgia, 30912, United States
University of California Irvine

Irvine, California, 92697, United States
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Aurora, Colorado, 80045, United States
University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute

Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States
University of North Carolina

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States
University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
University of South Florida

Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States
Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia, 23219, United States

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