Scientists Supercharge “Natural Killer” Cells To Break Through Cancer’s Defenses

McGill University researchers found that blocking two proteins can temporarily supercharge natural killer cells.

In preclinical studies, the enhanced NK cells penetrated tumor defenses more effectively and killed cancer cells across several hard-to-treat types.

The strategy uses a small-molecule approach rather than permanent genetic editing, which could make therapy more scalable and accessible.

Clinical trials are planned for acute myeloid leukemia, with potential relevance for other cancers including glioblastoma, triple-negative breast cancer, and kidney cancer.