Natural Killer Cell

Trinity College Dublin researchers discovered lung-resident NK cells are metabolically distinct from blood NK cells, with enhanced glycolytic capacity to rapidly respond to glucose during infections, offering potential for future lung disease therapies.

38 uHCC patients received protocol-specified therapy; 52.6% discontinued due to disease progression. 17 patients suitable for surgery, 16 underwent surgery with 100% R0 resection. Median follow-up was 16.9 months; ORR was 50% per RECIST 1.1, and 83.3% per mRECIST. Median PFS was 7.58 months, and median OS was 19.9 months. 97.4% experienced at least one TRAE, with 52.6% experiencing grade ≥3 TRAEs. Combination therapy enhanced immune environment, with significant increases in immune cells and TLS in PR patients.

Engineered nonpathogenic E. coli expressing immune-activating cytokines on their surfaces demonstrated potent anti-tumor responses and enhanced CAR-NK cell therapy efficacy, with a 50-60% cure rate in mice, suggesting potential as a 'tumor GPS' for NK cells.

Two UCF College of Medicine cancer researchers, Alicja Copik and Debbie Altomare, received $100,000 each from the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation to support their innovative breast cancer projects. Copik focuses on enhancing natural killer (NK) cells to fight cancer, while Altomare studies cellular pathways influencing cancer growth and immunity. This marks the first time two College of Medicine researchers have received the state cancer support in the same year.

INmune Bio Inc. is offering 2,341,260 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase up to 2,341,260 shares of common stock. The offering price per share of common stock and accompanying Warrant is $5.50 for Third-party investors and $6.50 for Insiders. The Warrants are exercisable beginning on March 16, 2025, at an exercise price of $6.40 per share, and will expire on March 16, 2030, unless accelerated. The net proceeds from this offering will be used for funding to complete the Phase 2 AD trial of XPro, initiate the Phase 2 trial of TRD, continue the INKmune programs, and for general corporate purposes, working capital, other R&D, and manufacturing.

Gene therapy tools enabling in vivo CAR T generation offer potential to make CAR T therapies faster, better, and cheaper, bypassing ex vivo limitations. Companies like Interius and Umoja are pioneering this approach with engineered lentiviral vectors and lipid nanoparticles, targeting immune cells directly in the body. This shift could blur the lines between cell and gene therapies, with initial trials in cancer and autoimmune diseases expected to yield significant insights by 2026.

IL-21 NK cells show promise in treating glioblastoma, outperforming IL-15 NK cells in safety and tumor control. Direct brain injection of IL-15 NK cells was toxic, contrasting with the safety of IL-21 NK cells. Research aims to initiate a clinical trial for IL-21 armored NK cells targeting glioblastoma antigens by 2025.