Stem Cell Transplant and Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases

Our team of experts is the result of the collaboration among several specialty groups, such as the Northwestern Medicine Multiple Sclerosis and Clinical Neuroimmunology Program and the Scleroderma Program.

The Northwestern Medicine Multiple Sclerosis and Clinical Neuroimmunology Program is a National Multiple Sclerosis Society-recognized center for comprehensive care of multiple sclerosis, with rigorous criteria for research, delivery of care, professional education, and patient outreach

The Northwestern Medicine Scleroderma Program is one of only a few in U.S. that specialize in diagnosing and treating scleroderma and is a designated Scleroderma Research and Treatment Center by the National Scleroderma Foundation.

From your first phone call, our team of experts will be here for you, every step of your care journey.

Stem cell transplant or cell therapy may help you if you have:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)
• Lupus
• Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy
• Myasthenia gravis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Autoimmune vasculitis

Treatments We Offer

Autoimmune disorders are caused by your immune system mistakenly attacking itself. We offer both standard treatments and treatments through clinical trials, so you have a range of options.

We will work with you and your care team to determine what may be right for your needs.

As our patient, your care team will include a specialist in transplant and cell therapy, as well as a specialist in your condition. As part of an academic health system, our team is highly trained and has expertise in this area of care. Our team works closely with world-class specialists in:

• Rheumatology
• Cardiology
• Pulmonology
• Dermatology
• Nephrology
• Neurology

Stem Cell Transplant

Stem cell transplants put healthy stem cells into your body to “reset” your immune system. You will get these cells through an infusion, which is called a transplant.

At this time, we offer stem cell transplant as part of a clinical trial for multiple sclerosis, or as a standard treatment for multiple sclerosis and systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).

There are two main types of stem cell transplants:

• Autologous transplant: We take cells from your own bone marrow or bloodstream. After you have chemotherapy, you get your own cells back through an infusion (transplant).
• Allogeneic transplant: These stem cells come from a donor whose tissue most closely matches your own. After you have chemotherapy, you will get these donor cells through an infusion (transplant).

At Northwestern Medicine, our team of experts can perform stem cell transplants to treat you. We will guide and support you throughout the process.

CAR T-Cell Therapy

We offer an immunotherapy option called CAR T-cell therapy. At this time, we are only offering CAR-T cell -therapies s as part of a clinical trial (not as a standard of care treatment). This therapy helps your immune cells fight diseases certain diseases. First, we collect T-cells, a type of white blood cell. Then, a lab team changes the T-cells’ genetics to make a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) so T-cells can destroy targeted cells.

Clinical Trials

We have teams of scientists and clinicians who study ways to treat neurologic and autoimmune disorders. They conduct clinical trials to see how effective treatments are.

Find stem cell transplant and cell therapy clinical trials for autoimmune diseases at Northwestern Medicine.

Our program is a division of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Many of the treatments we offer were first available as cancer treatment. Through innovation and research, we are expanding these treatments as options for autoimmune diseases.

Our team offers world-class care for hard-to-treat and hard-to-manage conditions. We are accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, which sets standards for excellence in cell therapies.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital has two specialty centers in downtown Chicago that support cell therapy:

• The Rube Walker Blood Center: This outpatient blood center specializes in collecting cells for different treatments and giving cell infusions.
• The Mathews Center for Cellular Therapy: This lab offers a place for scientists and clinicians to make cellular and biological treatments. It processes, stores and prepares cell products for adults receiving cell therapy.