Transforming Donor Blood Cells and iPSCs into “Off-the-shelf” “Broad-Spectrum” Cancer Killers

Clinical success of CD19-targeting CAR-T cells in treating B-cell malignancies strengthens the role of immunotherapy as the fourth pillar of cancer care. However, it remains challenging to extrapolate the current CAR-T principle into the treatment of other types of cancers. To develop “off-the-shelf” cell therapy products, we use donor blood cells and iPSCs as starting materials instead of patient’s own blood cells. To develop “broad-spectrum” cancer killers, we incorporate the unique cancer recognition capabilities of innate immune cells into these cell therapy products. By combining such strategies, we are progressing towards the development of “off-the-shelf” “broad-spectrum” cell therapy products for a large pool of cancer patients.