Here is a journal from 2020 talking about the differences between umbilical cord derived vs iPSC derived NK cells
UC vs iPSCFrom what I've read, iPSC is great in theory but obstacles include safety issues and efficacy (specifically persistance).
Firstly, unrelated to NK cells.. but for stem cells.. iPSC derived stem cells used for clinical trials have shown that it can result in uncontrolled replication and mutations, resulting in cancers forming after treatment.
Not sure if that would translate to iPSC derived NK cells.. but for stem cells using iPSC which are further down the track of development.. that's one of the key hurdles.
Another is that NK cells whilst very active, tend to not survive long enough to destroy the cancer. Which is why it was interesting when the NK platform we have optioned to license, showed superior replication and persistance (out to 5 weeks).
I think Jen said they'll announce more details as they determine exactly how the CORE-NK platform is developed, but I concur that having an experienced team like CHM have put together means by knowing the 'ins and outs' they are thinking about obstacles ahead of time and problem solving these before they become a problem.
I think the recent interview I posted showed this in action, where Jen was talking about how they were already thinking ahead well before our CDH-17 product was licensed (during the tender process) on the obstacles and how to overcome these if we were lucky enough to license the product. And while these development timelines seem long (12-24 months), for a small ASX listed biotech... I assure you we are punching above our weight. In the hands of a less experienced team, these timeframes can stretch out well beyond a few years... just to get a trial started!
Anyway i speed read through the journal attached, and from what I could see is that they found the potency / cytotoxicity was superior for cord blood derived NK cells. The iPSC derived NK cells were not consistent in quality and attributes.. though you would think over time this would improve, but as at 2020.. those were the findings.
But its good to keep an eye out on different technologies and while iPSC may be the long term future.. while they have benefits in terms of cost and time in manufacturing, the potency and safety of the products manufactured this way still have question marks over them.
So as a technology that hasn't quite got off the ground yet, using a cord derived NK cell may actually mean less obstacles.. and for now, it appears a superior product (even without making the modifications to make them next generation CORE-NK cells).
