SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital hosts international meeting on CAR-T therapies for pediatric systemic autoimmune diseases
Leading international experts have gathered at SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital for a high-level meeting dedicated to advancing CAR-T cell therapies in children with severe systemic autoimmune diseases. Co-organised with ERN RITA, the initiative brought together specialists from across Europe and beyond to address key clinical and research challenges in this emerging therapeutic field.
The meeting convened pediatric rheumatologists, immunologists, CAR-T experts and family representatives with the shared objective of building international consensus on the responsible and evidence-based integration of these highly innovative therapies into complex pediatric care.
Towards shared clinical criteria
A central component of the programme has been an expert consensus discussion focused on defining harmonised clinical criteria for children who may be candidates for CAR-T therapies. While CAR-T has transformed outcomes in certain oncological indications, its use in autoimmune diseases remains limited to highly selected patients.
One of the main challenges in this emerging field is the absence of common inclusion and exclusion criteria, as well as validated prognostic factors and outcome measures. The discussions focused on complex conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile inflammatory myopathies and juvenile systemic sclerosis, laying the groundwork for future multicentre collaboration and research.
International workshop on CAR-T in rare immunological diseases
The scientific highlight of the meeting was the international workshop on CAR-T cell therapies in rare immunological diseases. The session brought together leading specialists to examine how these advanced cellular therapies could be responsibly integrated into the treatment of severe pediatric immune-mediated conditions.
Throughout the afternoon, experts reviewed current clinical experience, emerging CAR-T strategies and ongoing academic and industry-led trials. Discussions focused on their potential application in autoimmune vasculitis, autoimmune encephalitis and pediatric rheumatic diseases, as well as on the need to establish shared eligibility criteria, robust outcome measures and structured long-term immunological follow-up.
The event attracted strong international participation, bringing together more than 200 professionals from over 40 countries. This broad engagement reflects the growing global interest in expanding CAR-T therapies beyond oncology and evaluating their potential role in severe pediatric autoimmune diseases.
Strengthening future research leadership
The meeting concluded with a dedicated session for junior members of ERN RITA, designed to foster collaboration among early-career specialists and to shape future research priorities in rare immunological diseases. The session provided a platform for emerging clinicians and researchers to exchange ideas, build networks and contribute to the development of new collaborative initiatives within the European reference network.
An event that reinforces SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital’s role as a reference centre in advanced pediatric therapies and its commitment to collaborative research to improve outcomes for children with complex immune-mediated diseases.