Three patients with light chain amyloidosis have been treated with CAR T cell therapy in the first European clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of this immunotherapy in this patient group, led by UCL and UCLH researchers.
The ALARIC trial, which was developed within the UK Myeloma Research Alliance and is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, aims to treat at least 12 patients at UCLH over the next two years and will also shortly open in Leeds.
Light chain amyloidosis (AL) is a rare but serious blood disease affecting around 500 people in the UK each year. It develops when abnormal immune plasma cells produce faulty "light chain" proteins that misfold and accumulate in tissues and organs. Without treatment, the condition can lead to organ failure and can be life-threatening. There is currently no cure.