Researchers at the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center and the Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC) have tested new models of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) in NK-92 cell lines, focusing on specific costimulatory domains such as 2B4 and DAP12. The study found that these components made the cells more effective at attacking tumors. The findings were published in Frontiers in Immunology.
The CTC is one of the Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers supported by FAPESP. It operates from the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center and is affiliated with Hospital das Clínicas of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School at the University of São Paulo.
CAR-based cell therapies are increasingly important in cancer treatment, particularly for blood-related cancers. While there is significant knowledge about effective CAR-T cell components, less is known about which intracellular signals improve CAR-NK cell function.
According to researchers, combining optimized co-stimulation with reversible pharmacological control could make CAR-NK therapies more potent and efficient. This approach may lead to future advances in cell therapy.
The research also explored using dasatinib to temporarily regulate cell activation. According to a statement from the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center Press Office: "In animal models, CAR-NK cells with 2B4-DAP12, pretreated with dasatinib, showed better tumor control compared to traditional versions."
