Natural Killer (NK) Human Immune System (HIS) ImmunoGraft® Platform to Evaluate the Pharmacodynamics of Immuno-Oncology Therapeutics

Harnessing NK cell anti-cancer cytotoxicity has gained interest as a therapeutic strategy, and consequently, improved preclinical models supporting the translation of NK cell–mediated therapies to the clinic are desired.

Reproducible models with human NK engraftment into immunodeficient mice co-engrafted with cell line-derived xenograft or patient-derived xenograft tumor models have been lacking due to an inability to support NK cell engraftment and persistence.

Here we evaluated IL-15-NOG mice for the engraftment and sustained survival of both ex vivo expanded and primary human NK cell isolates for establishing models that engraft effectively with both human NK cells and a PDX or CDX tumor.