1. Academic Validation
  2. Quadruple gene-engineered natural killer cells enable multi-antigen targeting for durable antitumor activity against multiple myeloma

Quadruple gene-engineered natural killer cells enable multi-antigen targeting for durable antitumor activity against multiple myeloma

  • Nat Commun. 2022 Nov 29;13(1):7341. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-35127-2.
Frank Cichocki # 1 Ryan Bjordahl # 2 Jodie P Goodridge 2 Sajid Mahmood 2 Svetlana Gaidarova 2 Ramzey Abujarour 2 Zachary B Davis 1 Aimee Merino 1 Katie Tuininga 1 Hongbo Wang 1 Akhilesh Kumar 1 Brian Groff 2 Alec Witty 2 Greg Bonello 2 Janel Huffman 2 Thomas Dailey 2 Tom T Lee 2 Karl-Johan Malmberg 3 Bruce Walcheck 4 Uta Höpken 5 Armin Rehm 5 Bahram Valamehr 6 Jeffrey S Miller 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 University of Minnesota, Department of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
  • 2 Fate Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA.
  • 3 Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
  • 4 University of Minnesota, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
  • 5 Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, MDC, Berlin, Germany.
  • 6 Fate Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA. bob.valamehr@fatetherapeutics.com.
  • 7 University of Minnesota, Department of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. mille011@umn.edu.
  • # Contributed equally.
Abstract

Allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell adoptive transfer is a promising treatment for several cancers but is less effective for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In this study, we report on quadruple gene-engineered induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived NK cells designed for mass production from a renewable source and for dual targeting against multiple myeloma through the introduction of an NK cell-optimized chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific for B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and a high affinity, non-cleavable CD16 to augment antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity when combined with therapeutic anti-CD38 Antibodies. Additionally, these cells express a membrane-bound interleukin-15 fusion molecule to enhance function and persistence along with knock out of CD38 to prevent antibody-mediated fratricide and enhance NK cell metabolic fitness. In various preclinical models, including xenogeneic adoptive transfer models, quadruple gene-engineered NK cells consistently demonstrate durable antitumor activity independent of exogenous cytokine support. Results presented here support clinical translation of this off-the-shelf strategy for effective treatment of multiple myeloma.

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