text-based CME

Spotlight on CAR-T Cell Therapy of Autoimmune Disease at ACR Convergence 2025

View Online Exhibit Hall  

Description

This education is designed to increase the confidence of frontline clinicians in their understanding of the evolving technologies and clinical aspects of cellular therapies as well as inform them of how to access clinical trials for such therapies for potentially eligible patients. At the same time a growing number of patients are expressing interest in this new field and frontline clinicians need to be confident in their ability to counsel such patients.

The Basic and Clinical Immunology for the Busy Clinician live and virtual series of meetings has for over a decade been dedicated to translating the many advances in basic and clinical immunology for busy clinicians who lack ready access to ongoing immunologic education. The field of cellular therapy is now at the pinnacle of immunologic interest and thus we are proposing a new dedicated forum to meet the educational needs of busy clinicians to increase their declarative and procedural knowledge regarding cellular therapies including learning how to access cellular therapy trials for their patients.

The rapid advancements in CAR-T cell therapy and other cellular therapies for autoimmune diseases have created a pressing need for clinicians to stay informed and confident in this evolving field. The complexity of these therapies, combined with their potential to revolutionize treatment protocols, demands a focused educational effort. This Town Hall will provide clinicians with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively guide their patients through these innovative treatment options and emerging clinical trials.

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the evolving landscape of cell therapies in autoimmune diseases, with a focus on CAR-T cell therapy approaches and their application to conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), myositis, and vasculitis.
  • Summarize the clinical outcomes, efficacy, and safety profiles of CAR-T cell therapy in refractory autoimmune disease patients, including remission rates, adverse events, and management strategies.
  • Analyze the immunological and metabolic changes induced by CAR-T cell therapy, including B-cell repertoire resetting, T cell epigenetic modifications, and implications for long-term drug-free remission and future therapeutic strategies.

Target Audience

The online series is directed to physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses with an interest in rheumatology, immunology, neurology, nephrology, and dermatology.

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education. Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians / American Medical Association (AMA)
Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education designates this internet enduring activity for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Participants claiming CME credit from this activity may submit the credit hours to the American Osteopathic Association for Category 2 credit.

Nurses / American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education designates this internet enduring activity for a maximum of 0.50 ANCC contact hours.

Physician Assistants / American Academy of PAs (AAPA)
Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 0.50 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Certificate of Participation

A certificate of participation will be provided to other health care professionals for requesting credits in accordance with their professional boards and/or associations.

Activity Director and Faculty

Activity Directors

Cassandra Calabrese, DO
Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases
Medical Specialty Institute
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

Leonard H. Calabrese, DO
Professor of Medicine
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
R.J. Fasenmyer Chair of Clinical Immunology
Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases
Medical Specialty Institute
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

M. Elaine Husni, MD, MPH
Director, Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Treatment Center
Vice Chair of Rheumatology
Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases
Medical Specialty Institute
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

Emily Littlejohn, DO
Department of Rheumatic & Immunologic Diseases
Medical Specialty Institute
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

Additional Planners

Debra Kangisser, PA-C
Clinical Affairs, PA Services
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

Elizabeth (Betsy) Kirchner, DNP
Department of Rheumatic & Immunologic Diseases
Medical Specialty Institute
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

Independent Peer Reviewer

Elizabeth File, MD

Faculty

Philip J. Mease, MD
Swedish Rheumatology Associates
Seattle, WA 

Disclosures

In accordance with the Standards for Integrity and Independence issued by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education mitigates all relevant conflicts of interest to ensure CME activities are free of commercial bias. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

The following faculty have indicated that they may have a relationship, which in the context of their presentation(s), could be perceived as a potential conflict of interest:

Cassandra Calabrese, DO
Astra Zeneca Consulting (Ended: 06/01/2024)
Teaching and Speaking (Ended: 06/01/2024)
Lilly Consulting (Ended: 12/01/2023)
Pfizer Consulting (Ended: 07/01/2023)
Sarofi-Regererun Consulting
Teaching and Speaking
Leonard Calabrese, DO
Astra Zeneca Teaching and Speaking
GSK Consulting
Sanofi Aventis Consulting
Genentech/Roche Consulting
Advisor or review panel participant
Teaching and Speaking
Novartis Consulting
UCB Consulting
Teaching and Speaking
Janssen Consulting
Teaching and Speaking
Abbvie Pharmaceuticals Consulting
M. Elaine Husni, MD, MPH
Lilly Consulting
Advisor or review panel participant
Amgen Consulting
Advisor or review panel participant
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Consulting
Advisor or review panel participant
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Consulting
Advisor or review panel participant
Teaching and Speaking
Pfizer, Inc. Advisor or review panel participant
UCB, Inc. Consulting
Janssen Consulting
Advisor or review panel participant
Regeneron Consulting (Ended: 01/01/2024)
Advisor or review panel participant (Ended: 01/01/2024)
Abbvie Pharmaceuticals Consulting
Advisor or review panel participant
National Psoriasis Foundation grant support to the project
Research
Elizabeth Kirchner, DNP
Lilly Consulting (Ended: 06/29/2023)
Pfizer Consulting (Ended: 11/09/2023)
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Consulting (Ended: 12/07/2023)
RhAPP Teaching and Speaking (Ended: 09/30/2024)
Emily Adele Littlejohn, DO
Synthekine Consulting
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Teaching and Speaking (Ended: 12/31/2023)
Philip Mease, MD
Corrona, LLC,Cullinan Biotech, Oruka, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Consulting
Abbvie Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Janssen, Lilly, Pfizer Consulting
Teaching and Speaking
Boehringer Ingelheim Consulting (Ended: 01/01/2024)
Eli Lilly, UCB Consulting
Teaching and Speaking
Research
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Consulting (Ended: 01/01/2024)
GlaxoSmithKline Consulting (Ended: 01/01/2024)
MoonLake Immunotherapeutics, Novartis Consulting
Research
Galapagos Consulting (Ended: 01/01/2024)

All other individuals have indicated no relationship which, in the context of their involvement, could be perceived as a potential conflict of interest.


Acknowledgment

The Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education acknowledges educational grants for partial support of this activity from:
Fate Therapeutics Inc.
Mylan Inc., a Viatris Company

Thank you to our Platinum Level exhibitors:
Abbvie
Bristol Myers Squibb
Sanofi

This CME activity was produced by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Center for Continuing Education and Cleveland Clinic’s R.J Fasenmyer Center for Clinical Immunology.