NHSGGCA Stirling man says he has a “second chance at life” following pioneering treatment for blood cancer, which could also be used to treat autoimmune diseases.
Adam Nicolson, 57, underwent CAR-T cell therapy at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow after his myeloma stopped responding to conventional treatments.
The life-changing treatment uses a patient’s own immune cells, modifies them in a specialist laboratory so they can recognise and attack disease, and then returns them to the body.
Once infused, the cells can multiply and continue targeting harmful cells.
Today, Adam is in remission and enjoying time with his family – something he once feared might not be possible.
CAR-T, or Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy, is one of the most advanced forms of personalised medicine currently available.
Over 130 blood cancer patients have been treated with licensed CAR-T therapy at the QEUH since 2019, with Adam being the first and only person in Scotland to have had it for myeloma.
He said: “When I was offered CAR-T therapy, it felt like a lifeline.
“I’d already been through so many different treatments including four chemotherapies, eight radiotherapies and a stem cell transplant – and knew my options were becoming more limited.
“Every treatment seemed to work for a while, then the myeloma would come back and each time it returned, it felt harder than the last for me and my whole family.
“There was a point when my consultant sat me down to say I might not see out the year. My body was failing and we had run out of options.
NHSGGC“But then the CAR-T clinical trial was offered, giving me hope when I really needed it. Then to be told I was in remission was incredible. The treatment has given me a second chance at life.
“It hasn’t repaired all the damage caused by cancer but it has given me a quality of life I could only have dreamed of.
“It’s allowed me to spend more time with my family, make plans for the future and get back to doing the things I enjoy.”
Researchers at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are now exploring how the innovative therapy can be used to treat autoimmune conditions such as lupus, systemic sclerosis and inflammatory muscle diseases.
Dr David Irvine, consultant haematologist at the QEUH, said: “CAR-T therapy has already transformed outcomes for many patients with blood cancers, including people whose disease has returned despite multiple previous treatments.
“What makes this particularly exciting is that we’re now beginning to understand how the same treatment could be used in a completely different way to help people living with severe autoimmune diseases.”
In autoimmune conditions, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues, leading to chronic illness, pain, inflammation and permanent organ damage.
Researchers believe CAR-T therapy may be able to remove the abnormal immune cells driving that damage, allowing the immune system to effectively rebuild itself.
Dr Irvine explained: “The concept is often described as an immune reset.
“Many autoimmune diseases are driven by abnormal B cells, which produce harmful antibodies and contribute to inflammation. CAR-T therapy can target and remove those cells much more thoroughly than existing treatments.
“For many patients with severe autoimmune disease, existing treatments focus on controlling symptoms and limiting damage over time.
“The possibility that CAR-T could deliver long-term remission with a single treatment is hugely exciting.”
Adam added: “If what happened to me can help researchers find new ways to treat other serious illnesses, that’s a wonderful thing.
“CAR-T has already changed my life. Hopefully it can do the same for many more people in the future.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have been offered this new type of treatment, and my thanks go to all of the clinicians who have cared for me.”
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