CAR-NK instead of CAR-T

Scientists have presented a breakthrough immunotherapy for cancer of solid tumors

Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+

CAR-T immunotherapy has become a real breakthrough in the treatment of blood cancer, but the effectiveness of the method for solid tumors has so far been negligible. Canadian scientists solved this problem by using a different type of cell for reprogramming and presented the first promising results.

A new experimental treatment developed by scientists from McMaster University, is an alternative CAR T-cell therapy, which is based on the modification of lymphocytes of a particular patient outside the body with the further purpose of attacking cancer cells, according to a press release Natural killers: Researchers engineer cells that attack and destroy malignant tumor cells but leave the rest alone.

Article by Portillo et al. Expanded human NK cells armed with CAR uncouple potential anti-tumor activity from off-tumor toxicity against solid tumors is published in the journal iScience – VM.

In a new approach, scientists began working with natural killer cells (NK cells) that perform functions similar to T cells.

"The ability of natural killer cells to distinguish target cells even from healthy cells with a similar marker gives new prospects for the development of cancer immunotherapy," the authors of the method explained.

A drawing from an article in iScience – VM.

The use of NK cells makes it possible to purposefully attack only cancer cells that are usually mixed with healthy ones in solid tumors.

The result was CAR-NK therapy, which scientists tested on human breast cancer tumor cells.

"The efficiency that we have seen with CAR-NK in the laboratory is very promising and it is very important to understand that this technology is viable. Now we have a much more effective and safe treatment option for solid tumors," said co—author Ana Portillo.

Scientists believe that their approach will work for other types of solid tumors, including lung and ovarian cancers. Currently, they are preparing for the first pilot clinical trials, after which it will be possible to judge the prospects of a new treatment for humans.

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