Development history of CAR-NK cell therapy

Natural killer cells (NK cells) were discovered by Ronald Heberman in 1975. The killing effect of target cells by NK cells does not require specific activation, and the killing process can be initiated only by the recognition of target cells, which is also the origin of the term "natural killer".

The history of CAR-NK cell therapy dates back to the 1990s, when scientists began exploring the use of natural killer cells (NK) to kill infected microorganisms and maliciously transformed allogeneic and autologous cells. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, several studies found that genetically engineering CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) into NK cells could enhance their anti-tumor ability. In recent years, with the successful application of CAR-T cell therapy, and NK cells play an important role in the field of anti-tumor, CAR-NK cell therapy deserves to become a hot player in cell therapy. Compared with CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells have stronger immunogenicity and shorter half-life period, which can adapt to the environment in vivo more quickly and has the effect of  anti-cancer.

What is CAR-NK cell therapy

The basic principle of CAR-NK cell therapy is to use genetic engineering techniques to modify NK cells to enhance their ability to recognize and attack tumor cells. Genetically engineered CAR-NK cells can rapidly expand in vivo and specifically recognize and attack tumor cells. CAR-NK cell therapy is more specific and has fewer side effects than conventional cancer treatments.