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Natural killer cell engagers: From bi-specific to tri-specific and tetra-specific engagers for enhanced cancer

An Zhu1,2, Yu Bai1, Yanyang Nan1

  • 1Department of Biological Medicines & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China.

Clinical and Translational Medicine
|October 29, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Natural killer cell engagers (NKCEs) are innovative immunotherapies activating NK cells to target tumors. Multi-specific NKCEs enhance versatility and efficacy, offering a promising approach to cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Natural killer cell engagers (NKCEs) are specialized antibodies targeting both NK cells and tumor cells.
  • NKCEs induce precise and effective cancer cell killing through NK cell activation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review NK cell engagers (NKCEs) as a key development in NK-mediated immunotherapy.
  • To focus on multi-specific NKCEs, their configurations, and methods to enhance NK cell activity.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of current literature on NKCEs.
  • Analysis of diverse NKCE configurations and biologics for boosting NK activity.
  • Examination of challenges and future perspectives in NKCE therapy.

Main Results:

  • NKCEs can enhance NK cell activation via engaging activating receptors and incorporating cytokines.
  • Multi-specific NKCE formats demonstrate increased versatility and therapeutic efficacy compared to bi-specific ones.

Conclusions:

  • NKCEs represent a promising class of immunotherapeutics for cancer treatment.
  • Clinical trials indicate NKCEs are safe and effective across various cancer types.
  • Optimizing NKCE design and exploring combination therapies are crucial for future advancements.
Keywords:
NK receptorsbi‐specific NKCEscytokinesnatural killer cell engagerstetra‐specific NKCEstri‐specific NKCEs

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