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Letter from the Director 

Despite the prevailing COVID-19 situation, the Vinnova funded NextGenNK Competence Center (CC) has exceeded its expectations during the first two years of operation. The CC is coordinated by Karolinska Institutet (KI) and involves active collaborations between KI, the Karolinska University Hospital, and several national as well as international SME and Pharma Partners. Since the last newsletter, the CC has strengthened its position by entering a new partnership with Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., for the development of new induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived cellular products and furthermore amended agreements with Zelluna AS to include iPSCs. On the therapeutic side, KI, together with Karolinska University Hospital, Sanofi AB and XNK Therapeutics AB successfully enrolled its first patients in a Phase II clinical trial involving studies of a combination of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and a NK cell-based product. In addition, the CC’s academic founders have entered into collaborative research projects with SME and Industry.

Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren, Director

Photo: Ulf Sirborn

As mentioned in the last newsletter, we are continuing to observe remarkable developments in the field of new cell-based cancer immunotherapies. We continue to see how cancer immunotherapies change the current paradigms of treatment. In this space, NK cells are advancing to the forefront of new cell-based cancer immunotherapies. It is in this context that NextGenNK operates. A noteworthy feature in the field is how achievements are made through collaborations between academic, health care, and industrial Partners. Many NK cell-centric companies have also initiated different forms of alliances with larger Pharma companies. In Sweden, we currently see the dynamic development of companies in the field, for example, XNK Therapeutics AB.

Evidently, more and more interest is circulating around NK cells as therapeutic targets in human malignant diseases. In contrast to T cells, allogeneic NK cells show an overall good safety profile and do not mediate GvHD, highlighting a role for “off-the-shelf” administration. The toxicity profile is generally favorable. From initial studies with predominantly peripheral blood derived NK cells, several academic groups, Biotech and large Pharma are now exploring iPSC-derived NK (iNK) cells. The goal is to develop cells that are cytotoxic against an array of tumor types and maintain robust antitumor function after cryopreservation. Genetic modifications designed to augment antitumor activity or by other means to promote efficacy are being explored. Yet, peripheral blood derived NK cell-based cellular products will likely continue to have a place in the growing field of cancer immunotherapies, either alone or in combination with other treatment modalities including, mono- or bispecific mAbs or other NK cell engagers.

In parallel with this development, several consultant companies regularly feed investors and the market with forecasts regarding commercial market development in the field. A recent report estimated the NK cell therapeutics global market size to reach 5.09 billion USD by the year 2026. Behind this estimation is the expected rise in the use of NK cells for the treatment of infections and liver diseases, the surge in awareness among the population regarding various immunotherapies, and the increase in R&D for the development of bi-specific Abs for engaging NK cells to eliminate tumor cells have contributed to the exponential growth of the global NK cell therapeutics market. This is indeed a striking development that could not have been foreseen when the original discovery and naming of NK cells occurred at KI, nearly 50 years ago.

Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren, Director

Photo: BioLamina

Under the heading "Spotlight," we present Partners involved in the NextGenNK Competence Center.
BioLamina is a Stockholm, Sweden, based biotechnology company focusing on matrix biology and cell culture-based research. The company specializes in human recombinant laminin cell culture substrates, and their Biolaminin® isoforms can be used for iPSC reprogramming, expansion of pluripotent cells, successful differentiation and maintenance of specialized cell types. For more info, please visit BioLamina's website.

Tell us about your research

I am a part of the Cell and Gene Therapy Group where we design new protein molecules from the existing modular domains with or without further mutations to get the desired outcomes. For example, we are adding new sensors to NK cells to detect and eradicate cancers. Similarly, iPSC technology enables us to convert almost any cell type back to a stem cell-like phenotype and then differentiate them to NK cells. We are combining this “customized” NK cell technology with iPSC technology in our lab. This enables us to generate “off-the-shelf”, “customized” NK cells in large quantities as required for cancer therapies.

Alamdar Hussain, PhD
Photo: Carin Dahlberg