"Enhancing Immune Cells for Cancer Treatment with 3D Bioprinting"

Joint Research Team of Mechanical Engineering and Life Sciences, World's First Development

Domestic researchers have developed a world-first technology that enhances the function of immune cells through 3D bioprinting to treat cancer.

We are producing a hydrogel that can enhance the function of NK cells through 3D bioprinting. Photo by Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology announced on the 11th that they have developed a 3D bioprinting technology using NK cell therapeutics as a new immunotherapy for cancer treatment through joint research. The research results were published on the 22nd of last month in the international bio journal Biomaterials Research (IF: 11.3). NK cells (Natural Killer Cells) are white blood cells that respond to viruses and cancer cells, selectively killing harmful cells in the body. They remove abnormal cells infected internally rather than external invaders.

The research team used 3D bioprinting technology applied in cancer treatment to print hydrogels containing NK cells. When NK cells are injected alone into the body, they float freely, and during this process, a large amount fails to reach the cancer cells and is lost. By allowing the 3D printed hydrogel to contain NK cells, it prevents the loss of NK cells and helps a large quantity reach the cancer cells. The hydrogel has pores that allow NK cells, whose activity is maintained after a certain time, to flow out and perform cellular immune functions to eliminate cancer cells.

The conventional method of injecting NK cells via intravenous injection showed poor results in clinical trials for solid tumors (a general term for malignant tumors with a certain hardness and shape composed of blood vessels and connective tissue). This is because NK cells fail to maintain an adequate level of viability and do not reach the tumor site.

By utilizing the newly developed technology, NK cells are printed while injected inside the hydrogel and cultured in a three-dimensional environment, enhancing the viability and activity of NK cells to respond to cancer tissues. Dr. Suah Park, principal researcher at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, said, "This technology can greatly enhance the function of NK cells used in cancer treatment," adding, "We expect this new technology to significantly aid in the treatment of cancer patients."

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