Lupus Foundation of America Funds Innovative Research Studying CAR-Treg Therapy for Children with Lupus

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) announced its 2026 Pediatric Lupus Research Grant, part of the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Lupus Research program, to Holly Wobma, MD, Ph.D., Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Wobma will be studying CAR-Treg's capacity to restore immune balance and subsequent disease remission in children with lupus.

Children living with lupus are at a higher risk for more pervasive and life-threatening organ involvement compared to adults with lupus. Between 10 to 20 percent of all cases of lupus develop during childhood with symptoms that are often more aggressive, severe, and can have long term effects on a child's growth and quality of life. For these reasons, the LFA established the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Research Program in memory of Michael Jon Barlin who passed away at the age of 24 following a long battle with lupus and complications from kidney and cardiovascular disease. The LFA's pediatric lupus grants provide funding for research projects that have the potential to significantly advance the field or serve as crucial seed funding to help researchers secure larger, external funding to further their research.

Dr. Wobma will be studying how regulatory T cells (Tregs) - immune cells that naturally calm inflammation and help maintain immune balance – engineered with chimeric antigen receptor (CARs) - can halt inflammation without destroying other immune cells. The study will improve our understanding of how inflammation disrupts Treg immune regulation in children with lupus and whether CAR-Tregs can restore immune balance which might offer a safe, effective cellular therapy for children with lupus with the goal of achieving drug-free remission.

"Current lupus treatments can keep symptoms and inflammation at bay, but don't correct the underlying problems in the immune system that drive lupus. This means, we do not cure the disease – and for children living with lupus this also means navigating a chronic illness for decades of their lives," shared Dr. Wobma. "Thanks to the support from the Lupus Foundation of America's Pediatric Lupus Research Grant from the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatrics Research Program, this study aims to understand if CAR-Tregs can be used as a treatment pathway that could lead to drug-free remission for children with lupus."

"CAR Cell therapy is a promising frontier for the treatment of lupus, but treatment is intense and carries risks that can be especially concerning for children. The Lupus Foundation of America is thrilled to support Dr. Wobma's study that holds the promise of a new treatment pathway for children with lupus using CAR-Tregs and innovative science that can be better tolerated by adolescents, helping achieve disease remission – both at a critical time in their lives and to support a future without the burdens of a chronic illness," shared Joy Buie, PhD, MSCR, RN, Vice President of Research, Lupus Foundation of America.

Learn more about the 2026 pediatric grant recipient and her study here.

About the Lupus Foundation of America
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is the premier patient advocacy organization devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, a devastating autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks organs throughout the body, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. Through a comprehensive program of research, education, and advocacy, LFA leads the fight to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. Learn more about the Lupus Foundation of America at lupus.org.

About Lupus
Lupus is an unpredictable and complex autoimmune disease that can affect multiple parts of the body. It is difficult to diagnose, challenging to treat, and often misunderstood. Lupus can cause symptoms ranging from skin rashes to organ damage and can be life-threatening. An estimated 1.5 million Americans are living with lupus. Despite its devastating impact, research on lupus remains underfunded relative to the disease's scope.

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Shannon Brown
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SOURCE Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.