Photograph displaying splitting and feeding of cells in the cell culture laboratory. © Fraunhofer IZI
Natural killer cells to target cancer Natural killer cells have the ability to kill tumour cells, now researchers are looking to harness their potential as a means of treating different forms of cancer. The Mature NK project provides training to early stage researchers, helping them develop the skills that could lead to the development of more effective anti-cancer immunotherapies in future, as Dr Erhard Hofer explains on behalf of Dr. Ulrike Köhl, the coordinator of the project. A type of
lymphocyte, natural killer (NK) cells are an important part of the innate immune system, with the ability to kill harmful cells. Researchers in the Mature NK project are exploring the possibility of manufacturing these cells for use in treating certain types of cancer, representing an attractive alternative to other options like T-cell therapies, which can lead to toxic side-effects. “We would not have this problem with NK cells. It has been shown that NK cells are usually very welltolerated when infused into patients,” explains Dr Erhard Hofer, part of the project’s scientific management team. The project brings together research groups and biotech companies from across Europe to provide training to early stage researchers (ESRs), who are conducting research into several different aspects of NK cells. “Some of the laboratories in the project are active in basic immunology, while others are more clinically-related. The project consortium includes several research institutions and biotech companies that are active in the development of NK cell therapy,” says Dr Hofer.
Mature-NK project The wider aim here is to help translate research advances into effective treatments, with the partners in the project investigating several
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different means of modifying NK cells and then manufacturing them for use in treating certain types of cancer. There are various methods by which NK cells can be manufactured, one of which starts with taking cells from a blood donor. “The primary white blood cells of donors can be taken and then amplified. You can select the NK cells using antibodies and amplify them in special cell growth media to get a limited number of batches for NK cell
of iPSC, that then can be frozen and stored. “Therefore off-the-shelf-strategies for NK cell products are possible,” says Dr Hofer. NK cells can then be genetically modified to enhance their effectiveness in terms of identifying and then killing tumour cells. “These NK cells can be equipped with artificial effectors that would help them directly identify and kill targets like tumour cells more effectively,” explains Dr Hofer. “For
Some of the laboratories in the project are active in basic immunology, while others are more clinicallyrelated. The project consortium includes several research institutions and biotech companies that are active in the
development of natural killer cell therapy.
infusions in patients. Another method involves using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These can be prepared from small numbers of various cell types including fibroblasts or various blood cells The advantage is that the generated iPSC cells can be grown in an unlimited way and then can be triggered to differentiate into NK cells,” outlines Dr Hofer. This will allow repeated production of large numbers of NK cells from the same batch
example, antibodies have been prepared that target tumour cells, helping NK cell receptors bind to them more effectively.” Normally, these NK cells have a number of different surface receptors, proteins that bind to both normal cells and also tumour cells. One of the ways by which NK cells kill their targets – which differentiates them from T-cells – is that they look for the presence of normal, selfidentifying receptors on the surface of normal
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