The number of patients with autoimmune diseases and recipients of organ or stem-cell transplants is increasing worldwide. Currently, these patients require lifelong administration of immunosuppressive drugs. Often, these drugs are ineffective, expensive and show severe side-effects. More effective and safer therapies aimed at modifying unwanted immune responses permanently or for prolonged periods are needed. Accumulating knowledge on mechanisms of immune tolerance has led to development of specific Cell-based Tolerance-inducing Therapies (CTT) with the specific objectives to restrain unwanted immune reactions long-term. For patients, personalised CTT will represent a breakthrough for healthcare and quality of life. Clinical CTT studies are underway or starting in single European institutes. The used CTT products are diverse and the efficacy of therapy is monitored by different parameters. This creates the risk of redundancy in trials and suboptimal performance indicators for comparison of trial outcomes. The main objective of this Action is to initiate a network that will coordinate European CTT efforts to minimise overlap and maximise comparison of the diverse approaches through establishment of consensus monitoring parameters. The A FACTT-Action will thus focus and accelerate the CTT field and ensure that the field will progress in an efficient, safe and cost-effective way.

(Descriptions are provided by the Actions directly via e-COST.)

Dr. Đorđe Miljković