Ng YY, Du Z, Zhang X, et al. CXCR4 and Anti-BCMA CAR Co-Modified Natural Killer Cells Suppress Multiple Myeloma Progression in a Xenograft Mouse Model. Cancer Gene Therapy. 2021; (doi: 10.1038/s41417-021-00365-x).

Modifying natural killer (NK) cells to express the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) may inhibit multiple myeloma (MM) from progressing. Researchers studying MM recognized that highly restricted BCMA expression on plasma cells represents a strong pathway for CAR immune cell therapy against the disease. They also learned that modifying NK cells with CXCR4 appears to promote the cells' infiltration into the bone marrow compartments in mice. The investigators subsequently used electroporation to alter NK cells with both CXCR4 and an anti-BCMA CAR, then tested their hypothesis in a xenograft murine model. The results were favorable, with tumor-bearing mice living longer and living mice presenting a significantly reduced tumor burden in the femur region.

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