CAR-NK cell

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a type of immunotherapy cell that combines chimeric antigen receptor — CAR — engineering with natural killer — NK — cells, creating an immune cell with a synthetically designed receptor that directs it to recognise and kill specific cancer cells; unlike CAR-T therapies which use the patient's own T-cells, CAR-NK cells can be derived from donor cord blood or cell lines, enabling allogeneic — off-the-shelf — products that do not require manufacturing a personalised therapy for each patient; NK cells have intrinsic anti-tumour activity and a natural safety profile that reduces the risk of severe cytokine release syndrome and graft-versus-host disease compared to CAR-T therapies; CAR-NK cells are under active investigation in clinical trials for haematological malignancies and solid tumours, with the hope that their combination of engineered specificity and natural cytotoxicity will extend the benefits of cellular immunotherapy to a broader patient population