Education Day highlights Scotland’s role in breakthrough autoimmune diseases research
A thought-provoking education day has highlighted the role which Scottish studies into advanced therapies can play in tackling severe conditions, says the NHS Research Scotland Central Management Team (NRS-CMT)
The event — held at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh on Thursday 28 May and attended by over 80 people — brought together a range of experts in advanced therapy clinical trials from across Scotland and the UK to discuss CAR T clinical trials in autoimmune diseases.
The day was targeted at NHS staff and researchers whose clinical work could be impacted by CAR T therapy either now or in the future, including clinicians, nurses, and professionals involved in Research and Development (R&D) activity.
The audience also heard directly from patients involved in CAR T trials, who emphasised the vital importance of research in developing treatments for a range of conditions.
CAR T-cell therapies are widely considered to be a revolutionary treatment for a number of conditions including autoimmune conditions, with major clinical trials currently underway worldwide. These are aiming to develop innovative, personalised therapies that harness a patient's own immune system to hunt down and destroy harmful cells.
NRS-CMT says a potential new era in autoimmune disease management holds the promise of a targeted, potent approach for inducing durable remissions through this immune system ‘reset.’
Hosted by the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre (ATTC) network and the Scottish Steering Group for Advanced Therapy clinical trials, with support from the Scottish Advanced Therapies Network, the day supported clinicians and researchers with ambitions to become involved in relevant trials.
During the event, which also aimed to encourage trial recruitment — in turn improving equity of access for patients throughout Scotland — General Manager of NRS-CMT, Dr Charles Weller was invited to speak on the opportunity to shape effective, high-quality clinical research across the country.
During the morning session, he discussed NRS’s role in supporting the placement, set-up and delivery of clinical research studies, Scotland’s research infrastructure, and partnership working to deliver UK-wide ambitions.
He also highlighted benefits from the VPAG Investment Programme, progress in accelerating trial set-up, encouraging new clinical trial data from Scotland, and the need to embed research and innovation in safe, high-quality, sustainable healthcare.
The day also saw NRS exhibiting, led by Activity and Performance Manager Dawn Williamson, to raise awareness of its activities, with NRS Cancer Network Manager Dr Kirsty Shearer, and Research Champion Support Manager Carol Williams of NRS Musculoskeletal Health, also on hand to answer questions and promote cross-sector collaboration.
Charles said: “This was an important event for not only raising awareness and encouraging study participation but also communicating just what this vital work can achieve and how well-placed Scottish researchers are for undertaking it.
“The day saw some real highlights with patient stories bringing experiences to life, and participants discussing their involvement in trials, representing useful knowledge for all present.
“Of huge interest to attendees were insights on the application of CAR T to a wider range of diseases across neurology, nephrology, and rheumatology, with some fascinating work presented on bringing cellular therapies into clinical practice.”
He added: “While integrating advanced therapies into the NHS will be challenging, there is much positive progress to report, and we believe there are more good things to come out of the connections made last week.”
The day was chaired by Dr Lynn Manson, Consultant Haematologist and Clinical Lead for Therapeutic Apheresis Services at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS), who serves as Chair of the ATTC Scottish Steering Group for Advanced Therapies.
The ATTC network, coordinated by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, aims to address the unique and complex challenges of bringing pioneering advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) to patients.
Publication date: 8th June 2026
