Scientists Enhance Natural Killer Cells to Combat Aggressive Cancers
Researchers at McGill University's Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute have developed a new method to enhance the cancer-fighting abilities of natural killer (NK) cells. This approach involves blocking two specific proteins to improve NK cells' ability to attack cancer cells. In preclinical studies, these enhanced NK cells successfully killed human cancer cells from aggressive types such as leukemia, glioblastoma, kidney cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer. The treatment also significantly slowed tumor growth in animal models. Unlike many modern cancer immunotherapies that rely on permanent genetic modifications, this method uses small-molecule drugs to temporarily boost NK cell activity, offering a potentially safer and more controllable form of immunotherapy. 
