Scientists in Brazil are making natural killer cells stronger and more exact at fighting cancer. They used a lab‑grown NK‑92 cell line and added special parts called 2B4 and DAP12 to the cells' surface. These parts act like switches that turn the cells on.
When the switches were added, the cells became ready to attack. They killed many more tumor cells in the lab. The study was shared in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
Why CAR‑NK cells matter
CAR therapies have already changed how doctors treat blood cancers. Most work has focused on CAR‑T cells. CAR‑NK cells are still being studied. Researchers need to know which internal signals make NK cells work best.
Adding the right signals
The new work looked at how the 2B4 and DAP12 signals affect NK cells. Adding these signals made the cells more active and better at finding tumors.
Using a drug to pause the cells
Scientists also tried a short‑term drug called dasatinib. The drug can temporarily slow the cells down. This lets researchers see how a brief pause changes the cells' performance.
Combining the strong signals with a reversible drug gave the cells more power and better control. This could help design safer, more flexible cancer treatments.
Better tumor control in animal tests
In mouse experiments, the engineered CAR‑NK cells with 2B4‑DAP12 and a quick dasatinib pause stopped tumor growth better than older versions of the therapy.
Team and support
The research was done at the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center and the Center for Cell‑Based Therapy (CTC). The CTC is part of a research network funded by FAPESP and works with the University of São Paulo’s medical school.
These findings point to a new generation of CAR‑NK treatments that could be stronger, more adaptable, and safer for people fighting cancer.