E4ORF-1 engineered natural killer cells

E4ORF-1 engineered natural killer (NK) cells are an investigational cell therapy designed to address the metabolic limitations of immune cells in the solid tumor microenvironment (TME). By expressing the adenoviral protein E4ORF-1, these NK cells are metabolically supercharged through the activation of PI3K-AKT signaling and the stabilization of the MYC transcription factor. This metabolic rewiring enhances the uptake of nutrients and promotes a flexible metabolic state capable of utilizing glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) simultaneously. This adaptability allows the cells to maintain high levels of cytotoxicity and persistence even under conditions of hypoxia and deprivation of glucose, glutamine, or lipids. Developed by researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center, this platform can be combined with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to improve the efficacy of NK cell therapies against solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

Other names

E4ORF-1 NK cellsE-4ORF-1 NK cellsE 4ORF-1 NK cellsMetabolically supercharged NK cellsE4ORF-1 CAR-NK cellsE-4ORF-1 CAR-NK cellsE 4ORF-1 CAR-NK cells