CD19 CAR T-cell therapy is feasible for patients with pemphigus vulgaris treated without lymphodepletion in the RESET-PV trial

D Daniel Nunez (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) J Jason Stadanlick (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) T Thomas Furmanak (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) J Jessica Goldenberg (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) G Gaurav S. Choudhary L Larissa Ishikawa (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) M Mallorie Werner (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) Z Zachary Vorndran (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) F Fatemeh Hadi-Nezhad (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) D Daniel Thompson (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) D Domenick Braccia (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) A Alexandra Ellis (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) J Justin Cicarelli (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) S Steve Flanagan (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) J Jazmean Williams (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) D Danielle Kobulsky (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) A Amanda Toreki (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) C Candice Schreiber (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) N Naomi Bass (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) A Angelina Impagliazzo (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) Q Quynh Lam (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) A Arturo Dominguez (2Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX) F Farrukh Awan (3Department of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX) X Xiaolong Zhou (Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University) J Joaquin Brieva (4Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL) M Mehrdad Abedi (5Division of Malignant Hematology/Cellular Therapy and Transplantation, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA) E Emanual Maverakis K Kiren Kresa-Reahl (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) R Raj Tummala (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) D David Chang G Gwendolyn K. Binder (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) J Jenell Volkov (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA) S Samik Basu (1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA)

Abstract

Abstract Lymphodepleting preconditioning (LD) is essential for the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in hematologic malignancies. However, in the setting of autoimmune diseases (ADs), the contribution of LD for efficacy is unclear. Here, we report on the early safety, efficacy, and correlative data of the first 4 patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) who received resecabtagene autoleucel (rese-cel), a fully human CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, without LD in the RESET-PV trial, a substudy of the DesCAARTes trial. Following infusion, pemphigus disease area index scores improved significantly in all patients. A favorable safety profile was observed, with a single episode of grade 1 cytokine release syndrome. Immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity was not observed. Rese-cel expansion was similar in patients with PV compared with other rese-cel–treated patients with AD who received LD. B-cell depletion was observed in all patients with PV, with 3 of 4 patients achieving B-cell aplasia. Elevations in serum B-cell activating factor (BAFF) level were observed, with 3 of 4 patients achieving levels within the lowest end of the range exhibited in rese-cel–treated patients with AD who received LD. PV autoantibodies decreased in 2 of 4 patients. These preliminary data suggest that LD may be dispensable for humanized CAR T-cell efficacy in patients with AD. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04422912.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 148, Issue 5
Published July 30, 2026
Pages 574-580
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (33)

D

Daniel Nunez

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

J

Jason Stadanlick

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

T

Thomas Furmanak

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

J

Jessica Goldenberg

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

G

Gaurav S. Choudhary

L

Larissa Ishikawa

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

M

Mallorie Werner

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

Z

Zachary Vorndran

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

F

Fatemeh Hadi-Nezhad

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

D

Daniel Thompson

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

D

Domenick Braccia

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

A

Alexandra Ellis

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

J

Justin Cicarelli

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

S

Steve Flanagan

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

J

Jazmean Williams

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

D

Danielle Kobulsky

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

A

Amanda Toreki

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

C

Candice Schreiber

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

N

Naomi Bass

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

A

Angelina Impagliazzo

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

Q

Quynh Lam

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

A

Arturo Dominguez

2Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX

F

Farrukh Awan

3Department of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX

X

Xiaolong Zhou

Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University

J

Joaquin Brieva

4Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

M

Mehrdad Abedi

5Division of Malignant Hematology/Cellular Therapy and Transplantation, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA

E

Emanual Maverakis

K

Kiren Kresa-Reahl

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

R

Raj Tummala

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

D

David Chang

G

Gwendolyn K. Binder

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

J

Jenell Volkov

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA

S

Samik Basu

1Cabaletta Bio, Philadelphia, PA