MIT Engineers Reprogram Immune Cells In-Body to Target Cancer and Autoimmune Disorders

MIT engineers developed a novel method to reprogram natural killer (NK) immune cells directly within the body. This technique uses lipid nanoparticles to deliver messenger RNA, enabling NK cells to target and destroy cancerous or autoreactive T cells implicated in conditions like lymphoma and autoimmune hepatitis. The approach, published in Nature Biotechnology, could simplify manufacturing compared to existing CAR NK cell therapies, potentially broadening access to these treatments.