CAR T cells and T cell engagers for autoimmunity—lessons from hematology

Autoimmune diseases are driven by dysregulated immune responses against self-antigens, resulting in chronic inflammation and progressive tissue damage. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy and T cell engagers, initially developed for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, have demonstrated that they can mediate profound and sustained depletion of pathogenic B cells, leading to long-term remissions in otherwise refractory diseases. In this review, we explore key insights gained from hematologic applications of CAR T cells and T cell engagers, and discuss how these lessons can guide the clinical use of these therapies in autoimmune diseases.