A scalable, spin-free approach to generate enhanced induced pluripotent stem cell–derived natural killer cells for cancer immunotherapy
Traditional sources of NK cells, such as peripheral blood, are limited by availability and donor variability. Additionally, in vitro expansion can lead to functional exhaustion and gene editing challenges. This study aims to harness iPSC technology to provide a consistent and scalable source of NK cells, overcoming the limitations of traditional sources and enhancing the potential for cancer immunotherapy applications. Overall design: For this experiment, we compared the gene expression profiles of iPSC-derived NK cells (from the same iPSC cell line but differentiated in 4 separate batches), buffy coat-derived NK cells (from 4 donors), and cord blood unit-derived NK cells (from 4 donors) using single-cell RNA sequencing.