Dr Miller on the Use of NK Cell Therapy in Hematologic Malignancies

Jeffrey S. Miller, MD, professor, medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation; deputy director; Roger L. and Lynn C. Headrick Chair in Cancer Therapeutics; associate scientific director, Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, discusses the types of natural killer (NK) cell therapy under investigation for patients with hematologic malignancies and other cancers, as well as ongoing research with these products.

The Masonic Cancer Center is leading the way among cancer centers in the United States regarding its use of NK cell therapy to treat patients with hematologic malignancies, Miller begins. The primary challenge Miller and colleagues face in this regard is determining how to optimize the clinical efficacy of NK cell therapies to establish these as standard treatments. The 2 main NK cell–based treatment approaches are NK cell infusions and NK cell engagers, Miller notes. The development of NK cell therapies has experienced fluctuations, particularly in comparison with the development of CAR T-cell therapy, which remains a strong competitor, Miller says. Within the NK cell research community, investigators contribute to an ongoing debate regarding the efficacy of NK cell infusions vs NK cell engagers.

NK cell research at the Masonic Cancer Center encompasses both treatment approaches, Miller explains. Miller and colleagues have been developing highly functional, induced pluripotent stem cell–derived NK cells. Although they initiated clinical efforts approximately 3 years ago, NK cell therapy remains in the research phase and has not yet become a standard of care for patients with cancer, Miller reports.

Concurrently, with the oncology community’s growing interest in T-cell engagers, Miller and colleagues are developing tri-specific killer engagers (TriKEs). They conducted a small pilot study with these TriKEs 3 years ago and anticipate the future launch of clinical trials involving these products for patients with leukemia and those with solid tumors, Miller concludes.