Chimeric antigen receptor-engineered natural killer cells: a promising cancer immunotherapy

Introduction: Widespread success of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for the treatment of hematological malignancies have shifted the focus from conventional cancer treatments toward adoptive immunotherapy. There are major efforts to improve CAR constructs and to identify new target antigens. Even though the Food and Drug Administration has approved commercialization of some CD19 CART cell therapies, there are still some limitations that restrict their widespread clinical use. The manufacture of autologous products for individual patients is logistically cumbersome and expensive and allogeneic T cell products may pose an appreciable risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Areas covered: Natural killer (NK) cells are an attractive alternative for CART-based immunotherapies. They have the innate ability to detect and eliminate malignant cells and are safer in the 'off-the-shelf' setting. This review discusses the current progress within the CAR NK cell field, including the challenges, and future prospects. Gene engineered NK cells was used as the search term in PubMed and Google Scholar through to December 2020. Expert opinion: CAR NK cell therapies hold promise as an 'off-the-shelf' cell therapy for cancer. It is hoped that an enhanced understanding of their immunobiology and molecular mechanisms of action will improve their in vivo potency.

Automated summary

CAR NK cell therapies show promise as an 'off-the-shelf' cancer cell therapy. It is hoped that enhanced understanding of their immunobiology and molecular mechanisms of action will improve their in vivo potency.