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NantKwest Announces Studies in Collaboration with the National Cancer Institute Demonstrating Enhanced Killing Activity of First-in-Class PD-L1 t-haNK Natural Killer Cell Across Every Cancer Cell Line Tested
NantKwest’s antibody-targeted NK cell line, haNK, which is engineered for increased antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and activation, showed
About this update from Immunitybio, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n NantKwest’s antibody-targeted NK cell line, haNK, which is engineered for increased antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and activation, showed increased resistance to hypoxic conditions as seen in suppressive tumor microenvironments\n\n\nNantKwest’s PD-L1 t-haNK cells, haNK cells engineered to express PD-L1 checkpoint-directed chimeric antigen receptors, demonstrated in-vivo tumor trafficking, significant elimination of both monocytic and granulocytic MDSCs and demonstrated robust anti-tumor activity in cancer cell lines and in mouse models\n\n\nStudies demonstrated the ability of PD-L1 t-haNK to kill 20 out of 20 human cancer cell lines tested, including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and lung, urogenital, and gastric cancer cells\n\n\n EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nNantKwest, Inc. (Nasdaq: NK), a clinical-stage, natural killer cell-based therapeutics company, today announced the publication of two peer-reviewed manuscripts in the Journal of Immunotherapy of Cancer. These invitro and in-vivo studies, conducted in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute pursuant to a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, support the mechanism and functionality of NantKwest’s clinical-stage engineered natural killer (NK) cell lines, haNK® and first-in-class PD-L1 t-haNKTM, as effecting anti-tumor activity in treatment-refractory cancer types even in the hypoxemic setting of the solid tumor microenvironment.\n\n\n“These published studies provide important insight and validation for the mechanism and activity of our novel first-in-class engineered NK cells for use in notoriously difficult solid tumor types,” said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NantKwest. “NK cells have the potential to kill tumor cells; however, the hypoxic nature of the suppressive tumor environment has been shown to curb primary NK cell function. These published data indicate that our engineered haNK cells remain active in hypoxic conditions, which may be an important new mechanism of its anti-tumor activity. In addition, our NK cells appear to be resistant even to acute hypoxia and are capable of maintaining tumor killing activity in conditions comparable to a suppressive tumor microenvironment.”\n\n\nDr. Soon-Shiong continued, “In addition, we are encouraged to observe anti-tumor activity in ev...