ImmunityBio: 1st data for memory cytokine-enriched NK cells in SCLC ‘promising’

ImmunityBio announced new data showing that the company’s Memory Cytokine-Enriched Natural Killer cells M-ceNK may provide benefit to patients with small cell lung cancer and patients with other types of neuroendocrine tumors. Findings from the study titled “Characterization of the anti-tumor activity of memory cytokine enriched NK cells or M-ceNK, against tumors with neuroendocrine features” were presented by Kristen Fousek, Ph.D., Research Fellow with the Center for Immuno-Oncology of the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute NCI in a poster session at the annual meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer SITC in San Diego, November 4 . Small cell lung cancer or SCLC is an aggressive neuroendocrine,NE, carcinoma and has few treatment options. Although immune checkpoint blockade ICB is approved in combination with chemotherapy in extensive stage disease, only a subset of patients experience an improvement in overall survival. In the new study, the killing capacity of M-ceNK cells was assessed in four SCLC cell lines representing the major molecular subtypes. M-ceNK cells, generated from cells from several healthy donors, were found to express high levels of activating receptors and low levels of inhibitory receptors, as well as elevated IFN-gamma and granzyme B production – all of which are important for anti-tumor activity. ..”These results are further evidence of the potential of M-ceNK therapy as a new immunotherapy approach for treating cancers that do not respond to immune checkpoint blockade, the current standard of care,” said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at ImmunityBio. “We are encouraged by the data coming out of this study and we look forward to assessing the potential for M-ceNK therapy in other tumor types.”