🔬 A method to produce anti-cancer killer cells en masse

Natural killer cells, or NK cells, are elements of the immune system capable of rapidly locating and destroying cancerous or infected cells. Their use in therapy, particularly by equipping them with artificial receptors (CAR), represents a promising avenue against the disease. Until now, methods relied on mature cells taken from donors, an expensive and difficult process to reproduce on a large scale due to differences between individuals.

The team of Professor Jinyong Wang in China adopted a different strategy by using hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, derived from umbilical cord blood. These cells, which are easier to manipulate, serve as a starting point to generate induced NK cells, called iNK cells, in the laboratory, which can then receive the CAR receptor. This study was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.


The process takes place in three main phases. First, the stem cells are multiplied significantly on a specific nutrient medium. Then, they are cultured in structures that steer them towards the natural killer cell lineage. Finally, they complete their maturation to become operational iNK or CAR-iNK cells, capable of expressing natural markers like CD16.

One of the remarkable points is the impressive production capacity of this technique. From a single stem cell, it is possible to obtain several million iNK or CAR-iNK cells. In theory, a small portion of a cord blood unit could provide enough cells for thousands of treatments. Furthermore, the amount of viral vector needed to introduce the CAR receptor is significantly reduced compared to conventional methods.

Laboratory tests have shown that these modified cells retain strong activity against tumors. In models of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in mice, the CAR-iNK cells managed to limit tumor growth and increase animal survival. These results indicate that the method not only improves production efficiency but also therapeutic performance.

This advance could therefore transform the manufacture of NK cell-based immunotherapies. By making production simpler, cheaper, and more standardized, it paves the way for more accessible treatments for a larger number of patients. The work benefited from the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.