Immunotherapy with NK cells: recent developments in gene modification open up new avenues

Lisa Marie Reindl; Nawid Albinger; Tobias Bexte; Stephan Müller; Jessica Hartmann; Evelyn Ullrich

doi:10.1080/2162402X.2020.1777651

Immunotherapy with NK cells: recent developments in gene modification open up new avenues

Oncoimmunology. 2020 Sep 2;9(1):1777651. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2020.1777651.

Authors

Lisa Marie Reindl^{1

2}, Nawid Albinger^{1

2}, Tobias Bexte^{1

2}, Stephan Müller^{1

2}, Jessica Hartmann³, Evelyn Ullrich^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Children's Hospital, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
² Experimental Immunology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
³ Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Langen, Germany.
⁴ Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have achieved remarkable success. However, application-related toxicities, such as cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity, moved natural killer (NK) cells into focus as novel players in immunotherapy. CAR-NK cells provide an advantageous dual killing-capacity by CAR-dependent and -independent mechanisms and induce few side effects. While the majority of trials still use CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cell trials are on the rise with 19 ongoing studies worldwide. This review illuminates the current state of research and clinical application of CAR-NK cells, as well as future developmental potential.

Keywords: CAR; NK cells; NK-92 cells; cell therapy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Cytokine Release Syndrome
Humans
Immunotherapy / adverse effects
Immunotherapy, Adoptive
Killer Cells, Natural*
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell*

Substances

Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [DFG, SFB/CRC/IRTG1292].