ES038

ES038 is a preclinical natural killer cell engager (NKCE) being developed by Elpiscience as a dual-targeting immunotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It is designed to bind leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B member 4 (LILRB4) on AML cells while simultaneously engaging the inhibitory receptor NKG2A and the activating receptor NKG2C on NK cells, thereby blocking inhibitory signaling and stimulating activating pathways to enhance NK cell–mediated cytotoxicity against LILRB4-expressing leukemia cells.[1][2][5] By coordinately modulating NKG2A and NKG2C, ES038 aims to overcome resistance and improve immune clearance in relapsed or refractory AML, where LILRB4 has emerged as a promising myeloid leukemia–associated target.[1][2]