Descartes-08

Descartes-08 is an autologous mRNA chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in clinical development for autoimmune diseases. It uses a patient’s own CD8+ T cells, which are engineered ex vivo with messenger RNA to transiently express a CAR targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), a protein found on the surface of B-cells. The modified T-cells are then infused back into the patient to selectively deplete BCMA-expressing B-cells, aiming to reduce pathogenic autoantibodies and modulate overactive immune responses. Unlike traditional DNA-based CAR-T therapies, Descartes-08 does not require preconditioning chemotherapy or integrating vectors and is designed for outpatient administration. The drug is being developed primarily for generalized myasthenia gravis (MG), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). Cartesian Therapeutics is the developer, with support from NIH grants and multiple FDA designations including Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy Designation and Orphan Drug Status for MG[2][4][5][6][7][8].

Other names

anti-bcma car-t cell therapyanti-bcma chimeric antigen receptor t cell therapy