A UCI Health patient who was diagnosed with lupus more than 20 years ago, is experiencing life-changing improvements thanks to an investigational CAR T-cell therapy being evaluated in a phase 1 clinical trial.
After years of debilitating flare?ups and exhausting all standard treatment options, she received a one-time infusion in August 2025 and has since seen significant recovery, including improved kidney function and a return to daily activities she once struggled to do. The trial was brought to UCI Health by Sheetal Desai, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist and chief of the Division of Rheumatology. Desai is now actively recruiting additional participants as she continues to evaluate whether this therapy can help patients reach deeper, more durable remission.