NK Cell Therapy-NK-cells-for-Cancer

Natural Killer Cell Treatment & Immunotherapy w/ NK Cells

Throughout modern history, treatments for cancer were dominated primarily by very cytotoxic pharmaceuticals and chemotherapy. These traditional means of treating cancer that is successful in killing cancer cells but these toxic medications also destroy many of the bodies healthy cells and neurotransmitters causing serious side-effects. The lone goal of scientists has always been to target & only kill cancer cells and reverse systemic autoimmune disease using a functional medical approach to fighting Cancer.

NK Cell Treatment for Cancer

Natural Killer Cell Cancer Immunotherapy

The human body’s first line of defense against cancer is the natural killer Cells or “NK.”  Recent advancements in gene therapies,mRNA technology, regenerative medicine, and non-toxic radiology have helped us get much further than ever before. Our current therapeutic goals have focused primarily on strengthening your body’s own natural capacity to fight diseases and cancer.[1]

The Human immune system is always finding ways to prevent cancer by utilizing NK Cells or Natural Killer cells. Our immune system can and does destroy precancerous cells, cancerous cells and viruses while recognizing and not harming the healthy cells. The Regeneration center has developed an innovative  targeted therapy  (Autologous NK cellular immunotherapy) & nk cell activation protocol using the patient’s own immune system to fight and destroy cancer.

Our unique activated lymphocyte therapy works by infusing harvested autologous Enriched NK cells form the patients’ immune system’s to directly assault and kill the invading cancer cells. NK Cells or ” T killer cells” are a kind of white blood cell known as a lymphocyte. These lymphocytes are part of the congenital immune system in humans.[2]

Allogeneic NK cells

Allogeneic NK cell therapies derived from primary cells blood, cord blood [CB], cord tissue assist the Regeneration Center with rapid NK cell manufacturing capabilities.  Allogeneic (donor-derived nk cells) therapies derived from primary cells such as blood, cord blood [CB], and cord tissue have the advantage of providing a rapid NK cell manufacturing capability.  These cell based therapies involve obtaining primary cells from blood or other tissue sources, isolating and expanding the NK cells in the laboratory, and then administering them to patients. Unlike autologous therapies, which require the patient’s own cells to be harvested and processed, Donor NK Cell (allogeneic) therapies can be manufactured in advance and kept in stock for immediate use by patients with cancer.

NK cell activating

Blood-derived allogeneic NK cell therapies typically involve isolating Blood NK cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from healthy, unrelated donors before the nk cells, feeder cells, car-nk cells and b cells engineered to express desired receptors. Cord blood-derived therapies, on the other hand, utilize NK cells derived from the blood collected from the umbilical cord and placenta after childbirth. Cord tissue-derived therapies involve isolating NK cells from the tissue of the umbilical cord and cell-based immunotherapies offer reduced cell cytotoxicity.

NK cell-based immune checkpoint

The advantage of using these primary car-t cell sources is that they provide a readily available and renewable supply of NK cells for use in treatments. Blood and cord blood donations can be obtained from healthy donors, while cord tissue can be collected from the umbilical cords of newborn babies during routine childbirth procedures. This means that a large number of NK cells can be obtained for cell manufacturing without the need for repeated patient-specific cell collection and processing.

Peripheral blood-derived & umbilical cord-derived NK cells

The Enhanced NK cell preparation can take 12-24 days but for allogeneic treatments Regeneration Center can begin before patient arrival. Our unique allogeneic NK cell therapies have significant implications for scalability and accessibility. It allows us the production of NK Cells to be stored at our cell bank in Bangkok or prepared (nk cell expansion) for immediate use, reducing the waiting time for patients in need. This is particularly advantageous in critical situations where quick administration of NK cell function is crucial, such as in cancer immunotherapy or treatment of infectious diseases.

Allogeneic NK cell therapies derived from primary cells like blood, cord blood, and cord tissue have a notable advantage of rapid manufacturing capability. This enables the production of a large number of doses that can be readily available for patients, improving accessibility and potentially saving lives with natural killer cells for cancer.

Treat Cancer Without Chemotherapy, Radiation or Surgery

NK-cell-therapy

These Killer cells play a leading part our bodies ability to reject “foreign mutant cells” such as tumors or virally infected cells. Human natural killer cell are either cytotoxic T cells, immune cell or natural killer T cells. Tiny granules within its cytoplasm contain very specific proteins (proteases & perforin) that are known as granzymes. A large number of cytokines are produced by Natural T Killer cells including:

  • Interleukin (IL-10)
  • Tumor necrosis factor α TNFα
  • IFNγ

Potential Side Effects from NK cell therapy

TREATMENT PRECAUTIONS & RISKS
Please Note That Not All Patients Qualify for Cancer treatment using Immunotherapy CAR-T cell therapies and Enriched NK Cells. Patients with late stage, severe underlying conditions or travel restrictions will not be eligible for the 2-4 week nk cell-based immunotherapy protocol.

Enhance NK Cell + Immunotherapy

Upon expansion of Autologous NK Cells, they are released back into the patient’s bloodstream while in close proximity to targeted cancer cells for the following:

Clinical studies will help us develop future immunotherapies should continue to provide promising strategies to exploit the unique functions of NK cell lines to treat cancer, infections, and other pathological conditions. Below are some future directions and areas of exploration in the realm of Human NK cell therapy:

Improved Cell Sources for Engineered Car-Nk Cells

Off-the-shelf Products: Unlike T-cell therapies like CAR-T, which are patient-specific, NK cells could potentially be used as “off-the-shelf” therapies.
iPSC-derived NK Cells: Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived NK cells offer a standardized, scalable cell source.

Advanced Engineering – Activate nk cells:

  • Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR-NK) Engineering NK cell line with specific receptors that target cancer cells more precisely is a growing area of research.
  • Multi-specific Targeting: Creating NK cells that can target multiple antigens can potentially increase efficacy and minimize resistance.
  • Better Co-stimulatory Molecules: Clinical trial are ongoing to identify which co-stimulatory molecules may help improve the efficacy of engineered NK cells.

Enhanced Persistence and In Vivo Expansion of NK Cells:

  • Memory-like NK cells: Unlike primary NK cells, some modified NK cells exhibit memory-like properties and may offer prolonged surveillance.
  • Combination with IL-15: Using cytokines like IL-15 to improve the in vivo persistence of NK cells for cancer immunotherapy.
  • Combinatorial Approaches with NK cells + Checkpoint Inhibitors: Using NK cells in combination with dendritic cells and other checkpoint inhibitors like PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA-4 inhibitors.
  • Combinatorial Approaches with a Combination with Vaccines: Combining NK tumor cell treatment with cancer vaccines to prime the immune system better.
  • Synergy with Chemotherapy or Radiation: Adoptive NK cells may work well when the tumor is also being targeted by conventional treatments.

Tackling Solid Tumors – NK Cell Biology:

While initial studies have often focused on hematological malignancies, future therapies are likely to explore the role of NK cells in combating solid tumors. NK cells also have a role in combating viral infections and other diseases, offering a wide potential application.

Regulatory and Ethical Considerations:

  • Safety Protocols: As with all cell therapies, understanding and minimizing potential side effects will be crucial.
  • Cost-effectiveness: New techniques need to be developed to make these therapies financially accessible.
  • Data Integration with AI and Machine Learning: Utilizing computational methods to optimize NK cell therapy strategies and predict patient responses.

The field of NK cell therapy is likely to see significant advances in the coming years, thanks to a combination of technological innovation, increased understanding of cancer biology, and improved manufacturing practices. To learn more about DNA screening for hereditary cancers with the Regen Center using NK Cells please contact us today.

Published Clinical Citations

[1] ^ Knorr, David A, Veronika Bachanova, Michael R Verneris, and Jeffrey S Miller. 2014. Clinical utility of natural killer cells in cancer therapy and transplantation. Seminars in immunology, no. 2 (March 5). doi:10.1016/j.smim.2014.02.002. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24618042

[2] ^ Mimura, Kousaku, Takahiro Kamiya, Kensuke Shiraishi, Ley-Fang Kua, Asim Shabbir, Jimmy So, Wei-Peng Yong, et al. 2014. Therapeutic potential of highly cytotoxic natural killer cells for gastric cancer. International journal of cancer, no. 6 (February 28). doi:10.1002/ijc.28780. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24615495

[3] ^ Pongpruttipan, Tawatchai, Sanya Sukpanichnant, Thamathorn Assanasen, Pongsak Wannakrairot, Paisarn Boonsakan, Wasana Kanoksil, Kanita Kayasut, et al. 2012. Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, includes cases of natural killer cell and αβ, γδ, and αβ/γδ T-cell origin: a comprehensive clinicopathologic and phenotypic study. The American journal of surgical pathology, no. 4. doi:10.1097/PAS.0b013e31824433d8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22314189

[4] ^ Selathurai, Ahrathy, Virginie Deswaerte, Peter Kanellakis, Peter Tipping, Ban-Hock Toh, Alex Bobik, and Tin Kyaw. 2014. Natural killer (NK) cells augment atherosclerosis by cytotoxic-dependent mechanisms. Cardiovascular research, no. 1 (January 26). doi:10.1093/cvr/cvu016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24469537

Page last updated: 08 February 2024 | Topic last reviewed: 15 September 2023