Phenotypic and transcriptomic profiling of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived NK cells and their cytotoxicity against cancers.

Background: Adoptive immunotherapy using natural killer (NK) cells has attracted considerable interest in numerous clinical trials targeting both hematological and solid tumors. Traditionally, NK cells are primarily derived from either peripheral blood (PB) or umbilical cord blood (UCB). However, these methods can lead to variability and heterogeneity within the NK cell population.

Generation of a homozygous TIGIT gene knockout (TIGIT) human iPSC line (MUSIi001-A-3) using CRISPR/Cas9 system.

Adoptive cell therapy for solid cancers involves enhancing and reinfusing immune cells to target tumor cells. The advancement of induced pluripotent stem cell technology enables the generation of immune cell products like T and NK cells for ACT. However, the expression of inhibitory receptors, such as TIGIT, may limit the functionality of these immune effector cells.