Enabling allogeneic cell therapy development: scaling up generation of PSC-derived NK cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide a potentially unlimited source of cells capable of differentiating into any cell type, making them highly valuable for the development of cell therapy. However, manufacturing of iPSCs is complex and presents many challenges, particularly when scaling up cell cultures to meet the growing demand. This article explores strategies to overcome these challenges and introduces a novel feeder-free protocol for differentiating iPSCs into specialized cells, including induced natural killer (iNK) cells, which have potential applications in allogeneic cell therapies. The article includes a case study demonstrating the functionality of iNK cells developed using the novel differentiation protocol in cancer treatment applications with patient-derived human colorectal cancer tumoroids.