Three female patients treated with B-cell-targeted CAR-T cell therapy for myasthenia gravis at Magdeburg University Hospital; symptom-free for over three years

Three female patients treated with B-cell-targeted CAR-T cell therapy for myasthenia gravis at Magdeburg University Hospital; symptom-free for over three years

Medical Faculty/University Hospital Magdeburg - Cell Therapy Shows Lasting Effects in Severe Neuromuscular Autoimmune Disease

Cell Therapy Shows Lasting Effects in Severe Neuromuscular Autoimmune Disease

New Long-Term Data: Three female patients with the rare muscle disorder myasthenia gravis remain symptom-free years after CAR-T cell therapy and require no medication

On May 30, 2023, a medical milestone was achieved at Magdeburg University Hospital: That was when, for the first time worldwide, a patient with severe, treatment-resistant myasthenia gravis was successfully treated with a B-cell-targeted CAR-T cell therapy—a procedure that originated in cancer medicine. Three years later, an interdisciplinary team has now published the long-term results for three patients in the renowned journal Cell Reports Medicine— two of whom were treated in Magdeburg.

All three patients were symptom-free shortly after treatment. The medications they had previously required could be completely discontinued, while muscle strength, activities of daily living, and quality of life improved significantly. The first Magdeburg patient has been symptom-free for more than three years. What makes these results particularly noteworthy is the long follow-up period: it shows that the therapy’s effects can last not only in the short term but for years.

A Rare Disease with a Course That Can Be Life-Threatening

Myasthenia gravis is a rare autoimmune disease in which antibodies disrupt signal transmission between nerves and muscles. Typical symptoms include rapidly progressive muscle weakness, double vision, and difficulty speaking and swallowing. If the respiratory muscles are affected, the disease can become life-threatening.

According to estimates, up to 24,000 people in Germany live with myasthenia gravis. The disease can occur at any age. In cases of early-onset disease, women are affected about three to four times more frequently than men. Although treatment options have improved significantly in recent years, many patients require long-term therapy. For some patients, the disease cannot be adequately controlled despite multiple medications.

Targeted Reset of the Immune System

In CAR-T cell therapy , the body’s own immune cells—known as T cells —are extracted from the patient’s blood. In the laboratory, they are genetically modified so that they can subsequently recognize and destroy B cells in a targeted manner. The modified cells are then reinfused into the patient.

B cells play a central role in myasthenia gravis and many other autoimmune diseases. They produce the misdirected antibodies that disrupt communication between nerves and muscles. The idea: If these cells are temporarily removed, the immune system may subsequently be able to reorganize itself.

“Our data suggest that this temporary removal of B cells may give the immune system the chance for what is known as an immunological reset ,” explains Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Mougiakakos, one of the pioneers of this therapeutic concept for autoimmune diseases who has played a key role in advancing its clinical development.

Good Tolerability Supported by Another Magdeburg Study

In the current case series, the treatment was generally well tolerated. Any side effects that occurred were temporary and manageable. This is consistent with another Magdeburg study published in HemaSphere in 2026: In that study as well, no serious treatment-related side effects were observed in the cases examined with severe autoimmune diseases, including three patients with myasthenia gravis.

From Individual Cases to an International Study

The findings from the case series have since been incorporated into the international clinical trial KYSA-6 . In this large-scale Phase 2

3 trial, the same CAR-T cell product is being evaluated in a larger group of people with severe generalized myasthenia gravis.

The University Medical Center Magdeburg is also seeking participants with active myasthenia gravis for this study. Those interested can find out more about the study at khae-studien@med.ovgu.de . Eligibility for participation will then be assessed on a case-by-case basis according to the respective study criteria.

Interdisciplinary Cell Therapy Research in Magdeburg

The recent publication resulted from close collaboration between Magdeburg University Hospital, the Hannover Medical School, the Ruhr University Bochum, the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg , and other clinical and scientific partners.

The Magdeburg Center for Cell and Immunotherapies (MAZI) brings together the necessary expertise and bridges the gap between experimental research and clinical application. With pioneering treatments that have garnered worldwide attention, Magdeburg has become one of the most active German centers for T-cell-based immunotherapies for severe autoimmune diseases.

“The path from the first individualized treatment through long-term scientific follow-up to a controlled trial demonstrates how translational medicine can work,” emphasizes Prof. Mougiakakos. “At MAZI, we are creating the interdisciplinary structures needed to jointly advance such approaches.”

A. Long-term outcomes of anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy in refractory myasthenia gravis: A case series, in: Cell Rep Med., Aug. 21, 2026, DOI: 10.1016

“Expansion and safety profile of CD28-costimulated anti-CD19 CAR T cells in B-cell lymphoma versus autoimmune disease,” in: Hemasphere, July 8, 2026, DOI: 10.1002

Prof. Dr. med. Dimitrios Mougiakakos, Director of the University Clinic for Hematology, Oncology, Cell and Radiation Therapy in Magdeburg, Email: dimitrios.mougiakakos@med.ovgu.de , Phone: +49 391 67 13266

MEDICAL FACULTY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MAGDEBURG