Engineered immune cells take on lupus in tiny trial

NCT ID NCT06038474

First seen Jan 04, 2026 · Last updated Jun 22, 2026 · Updated 20 times

Summary

This Phase 2 trial is testing a new treatment called Descartes-08 for people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Descartes-08 uses a patient's own immune cells, modified to target a protein called BCMA, to try to control the disease. Only 6 participants with active lupus despite other treatments are being enrolled to check safety and see if the therapy shows any signs of working.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Profound Research LLC

    Oceanside, California, 92056, United States

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 type of CAR T-cell therapy that targets BCMA)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could point toward a new treatment option for people with lupus that doesn't require lifelong medication.

What could go wrong

This is a very small, early-phase trial with only 6 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. CAR T-cell therapy can cause serious side effects like cytokine release syndrome.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

systemic lupus erythematosus

As listed by the trial registrant

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