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Natural Killer Cell Engagers (NKCEs): a new frontier in cancer immunotherapy

Minchuan Zhang1, Kong-Peng Lam1,2,3, Shengli Xu1,4

  • 1Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore.

Frontiers in Immunology
|August 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Natural Killer cell engagers (NKCEs) are promising cancer immunotherapies. This review explores NKCE design, function, and manufacturing for effective, off-the-shelf cancer treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Natural Killer (NK) cells are vital innate immune cells targeting infected and cancerous cells.
  • NK cell-mediated immunotherapy offers a safe and effective cancer treatment strategy.
  • NK cell engagers (NKCEs) are novel antibody-based therapeutics that activate NK cells to kill tumor cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on NK cell engager (NKCE) development.
  • To discuss the impact of molecular design on NKCE functionality and manufacturability.
  • To identify critical factors for producing effective NKCEs as off-the-shelf cancer drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of NKCE development and clinical trials.
  • Analysis of NKCE molecular design principles.
  • Discussion of manufacturing considerations for therapeutic applications.

Main Results:

  • NKCEs bridge NK and tumor cells, inducing targeted tumor cell lysis.
  • Several NKCEs are in development, with some progressing to clinical trials.
  • Understanding NKCE molecular design is crucial for optimizing efficacy and production.

Conclusions:

  • NKCEs represent a significant advancement in cancer immunotherapy.
  • Further research into NKCE design and manufacturing is essential for clinical translation.
  • Optimized NKCEs hold potential as readily available, off-the-shelf cancer therapies.
Keywords:
NK cell engager (NKCE)cancerfunctionalityimmunotherapymanufacturabilitynatural killer (NK) cell

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