Scientists reviewed hundreds of studies to see if autoimmune diseases—conditions where your body’s defense system attacks itself—can actually be cured. They found that in some cases, people can achieve what doctors call a “functional cure,” meaning their disease goes away and stays away without needing medicine. This happened when doctors removed infections that triggered the disease, reset the immune system with special cell treatments, or used advanced therapies like CAR-T cells. While not everyone can achieve this, the research suggests that a cure may be possible for certain autoimmune diseases in specific situations.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can autoimmune diseases be permanently cured or put into long-term remission without patients needing to take medicine forever?
  • Who participated: Researchers looked at hundreds of published studies involving thousands of patients with different autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic sclerosis. They included clinical trials, case studies, and research reports published through September 2025.
  • Key finding: Strong evidence shows that some autoimmune diseases can achieve remission without medication, especially when doctors eliminate infections that trigger the disease, perform immune system reset procedures, or use advanced cell therapies. For example, removing a common stomach bacteria helped many patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (a blood clotting disorder) achieve drug-free remission.
  • What it means for you: If you have an autoimmune disease, this research suggests that a complete cure or long-term remission without medication may be possible in certain situations. However, this doesn’t apply to everyone—it depends on your specific disease, what’s causing it, and which treatments are available. Talk to your doctor about whether these approaches might work for your condition.

The Research Details

This was a systematic review, which means researchers searched multiple medical databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane) for all published studies about autoimmune diseases achieving remission or cure. They looked for studies published up to September 2025 and included clinical trials, meta-analyses (studies that combine results from many trials), case series, and individual case reports.

The researchers focused on five main treatment approaches: removing infections that trigger autoimmune disease, resetting the immune system using stem cell transplants, using advanced cell therapies (like CAR-T cells), making environmental and nutritional changes, and treating cancers that sometimes cause autoimmune symptoms. They carefully evaluated each study to determine if patients achieved what they defined as a “functional cure”—meaning the disease completely went away, patients stopped needing medication, and their disease markers returned to normal.

They followed PRISMA guidelines, which are strict rules that ensure systematic reviews are done carefully and fairly. This approach helps readers trust that the researchers didn’t cherry-pick studies that supported their ideas.

A systematic review is important because autoimmune diseases affect millions of people worldwide, and most patients are told their condition is incurable and they’ll need medication for life. By gathering all available evidence about whether remission or cure is possible, this review challenges that assumption and gives doctors and patients hope. It also helps identify which treatments show the most promise, so researchers can focus future studies on the most effective approaches.

This review followed strict scientific guidelines (PRISMA) to ensure fairness and accuracy. The researchers searched multiple databases to find as many relevant studies as possible, reducing the chance they missed important evidence. However, readers should know that the original studies included in this review varied in quality—some were large, well-designed clinical trials, while others were smaller case reports. The review also couldn’t combine all results statistically because the studies were too different from each other. This means some findings are stronger than others.

What the Results Show

The research found strong evidence that removing Helicobacter pylori (a stomach bacteria) helps patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura—a condition where the body destroys its own blood platelets—achieve drug-free remission. Many patients stopped needing medication after the bacteria was eliminated.

For systemic sclerosis (a disease that hardens skin and organs), stem cell transplants worked better than standard chemotherapy in clinical trials. Patients who received stem cell transplants had better survival rates and needed less long-term immunosuppressive medication. Some lupus patients also achieved extended periods without medication after stem cell transplants.

Advanced cell therapies, particularly anti-CD19 CAR-T cells, showed impressive results in B-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases (diseases caused by misbehaving B cells). These therapies induced deep remission in patients, and their autoimmune antibodies normalized over 12 to 24 months. Photopheresis (a treatment that filters and treats blood outside the body) was safe but showed mixed results in different patients.

When cancer patients with paraneoplastic syndromes (autoimmune symptoms caused by cancer) had their tumors successfully treated, their autoimmune symptoms often disappeared as well. This suggests that removing the trigger (the cancer) can resolve the autoimmune disease.

Environmental and nutritional approaches, including vitamin D supplementation, plant-based diets, and strategies to improve gut bacteria, showed promise in some studies. However, the evidence for these approaches achieving a true functional cure is limited compared to the stronger evidence for infection eradication and cell therapies. These approaches may help manage symptoms or support other treatments but shouldn’t be relied upon as sole treatments for achieving remission.

Historically, autoimmune diseases were considered permanent conditions requiring lifelong medication to manage symptoms. This review builds on growing evidence that remission without medication is possible in certain cases. Previous research has shown that some patients naturally achieve remission, but this systematic review is more comprehensive and evaluates multiple treatment strategies that might help achieve this outcome. The findings align with recent advances in immunology and cell therapy but suggest that functional cure is still achievable in only selected cases rather than being a universal outcome.

The review has several important limitations. First, the original studies included varied greatly in quality and design—some were rigorous clinical trials while others were small case reports, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Second, most studies followed patients for relatively short periods, so we don’t know if remission lasts for decades. Third, the review couldn’t combine results from different studies statistically because they were too different from each other. Fourth, some treatments like stem cell transplants carry significant risks and aren’t suitable for all patients. Finally, the definition of “functional cure” is still being developed, so different studies may have used different standards for what counts as a cure.

The Bottom Line

Based on moderate to strong evidence: If you have immune thrombocytopenic purpura, ask your doctor about testing for and treating Helicobacter pylori infection. For systemic sclerosis, discuss whether stem cell transplantation might be appropriate for your situation. If you have a B-cell-mediated autoimmune disease, ask about CAR-T cell therapy availability. For all autoimmune diseases, discuss with your doctor whether environmental approaches like vitamin D supplementation or dietary changes might support your treatment. These recommendations come with the caveat that not all treatments work for all people, and some carry significant risks that must be weighed against potential benefits.

These findings are most relevant for people with autoimmune diseases who are interested in potentially reducing or eliminating their medication needs. Doctors treating autoimmune diseases should be aware of these emerging treatment options. People newly diagnosed with autoimmune diseases should know that remission without medication may be possible, though it’s not guaranteed. However, these findings don’t apply equally to all autoimmune diseases—some show much stronger evidence than others. People with mild autoimmune disease that’s well-controlled with current medication may not need to pursue these more aggressive treatments.

Realistic timelines vary by treatment. Infection eradication (like treating H. pylori) may show results within weeks to months. Stem cell transplants typically require several months of recovery before benefits appear. CAR-T cell therapies and photopheresis may take 12-24 months to show full effects. Environmental interventions like dietary changes may take several months to show benefits. It’s important to understand that achieving a functional cure is not quick—it requires patience and close monitoring with your healthcare team.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track disease activity markers weekly: record symptom severity (0-10 scale), medication doses taken, any new symptoms, and energy levels. If pursuing infection eradication or cell therapy, track these metrics before, during, and after treatment to monitor progress toward remission.
  • If your doctor recommends environmental interventions, use the app to track dietary changes (such as increasing plant-based foods or monitoring vitamin D intake), supplement adherence, and any symptom improvements. Set reminders for medical appointments and test results related to your autoimmune disease monitoring.
  • Establish a long-term tracking system that records disease activity, medication changes, treatment milestones, and biomarker results (like autoantibody levels if available). Create monthly summaries to share with your healthcare team, and use the app to identify patterns between lifestyle changes and disease activity over 6-12 month periods.

This research review discusses emerging and experimental treatments for autoimmune diseases. While the findings are promising, functional cure is not yet standard treatment and is only achievable in selected cases. Some treatments discussed, such as stem cell transplants and CAR-T cell therapy, carry significant risks and are not appropriate for all patients. Do not stop or change your autoimmune disease medications without consulting your healthcare provider. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice. Always discuss potential treatment options, including those mentioned in this review, with your rheumatologist or specialist to determine what is appropriate for your specific condition, disease severity, and overall health status.