pembrolizumab + DC-NK cell therapy

Pembrolizumab + DC-NK cell therapy is a combination investigational immunotherapy regimen comprising pembrolizumab, a programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor monoclonal antibody, with dendritic cell–natural killer (DC-NK) cell therapy. The mechanism relies on pembrolizumab’s blockade of PD-1 to release T cell and NK cell activity, while DC-NK cell therapy introduces either autologous or allogeneic cytotoxic NK cells often primed or expanded ex vivo (sometimes with support from dendritic cells) to directly enhance antitumor immune responses. This strategy aims to improve antitumor efficacy via both checkpoint inhibition and cellular immunotherapy, targeting challenging malignancies such as advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and biliary tract cancer[1][2][3].