'Killer Cells' Target Cancer Using Key Mechanisms

The fabrication process of a hyaluronic acid-based cell culture scaffold (3D-ENHANCE) with a dimensional porous structure.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] Domestic researchers have developed a substance that can proliferate natural killer (NK) cells to enhance anticancer effects. It is expected to open a new chapter in anticancer treatment using NK cells. On the 27th, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology announced that the research team led by Dr. Kim Taedon of the Immunotherapy Research Center developed a technology that can increase the cancer cell treatment effect through mass proliferation of MK cells.

Growing Cancer Killer Cells to Fight Cancer

The appearance of scaffolds with different biodegradation rates in vivo.

The research team developed a three-dimensional cell culture scaffold made of implantable biomaterial that enables mass proliferation of NK cells and targeted therapy. The scaffold is a structure for cell culture made of nano and polymer materials. The team also demonstrated that the newly developed scaffold can enhance the anticancer treatment effect of NK cells.

NK cells grown inside the scaffold developed by the research team showed higher cell proliferation, survival, cytotoxicity, and cytokine secretion abilities compared to NK cells cultured conventionally. They also increased the expression of genes related to these characteristics.

In particular, when NK cells cultured using the scaffold developed by the team were injected into a blood cancer mouse model, the survival period significantly increased compared to mice injected with general NK cells. Furthermore, by combining CAR-NK therapeutics, which enhance specificity and cytotoxicity against cancer cells, with the 3D cell culture scaffold, the team also demonstrated treatment efficacy against solid tumors.

NK cells are innate immune cells known to eliminate cancer cells or cells infected by viruses or bacteria. Although NK cells have been reported to have excellent anticancer effects, they have limitations such as difficulty in mass proliferation and low infiltration, resulting in relatively low efficacy in solid tumors.

Fusion in Anticancer Treatment

Comparison of NK cells cultured in a three-dimensional porous cell culture scaffold and NK cells cultured in two dimensions.

Dr. Kim Taedon stated, "Through the application of the new scaffold, we have been able to propose a new treatment concept of anticancer therapy using NK cells and CAR-NK gene therapy technology," adding, "We expect this to accelerate the development of various fusion technologies that can be co-administered or combined with chemotherapy and immunomodulatory therapy in the future."

He further explained, "The time required for practical application will be determined by the time needed to optimize NK cell culture conditions according to the size of the scaffold and the progress of clinical-stage research attempts."

The study was published in the June 10 issue of Biomaterials, an academic journal in the field of biomaterials.

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