New Horizons in Cellular Therapy: Harnessing Our Body's Natural Killer Cells to Fight Cancer

Natural killer (NK) cell expert Lewis L. Lanier, Ph.D., and Oscar A. Aguilar, Ph.D., a Cancer Research Institute (CRI) fellow in Dr. Lanier’s lab at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) explore how NK cells work and how we might apply them against cancer. #Immunotherapy #CancerResearch www.cancerresearch.org

NK cells are specialized immune cells that can recognize and destroy threats, including cancer. Due to their unique capabilities, they have great potential in cancer immunotherapy, with multiple NK cell-based approaches already being evaluated in clinical trials.

A member of the CRI Scientific Advisory Council and National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Lewis Lanier has made a number of important discoveries into NK cell biology, especially the receptors that activate and inhibit them. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the American Cancer Society Professor of Microbiology, and the leader of the Cancer Immunology Program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Since 1992, Lanier has sponsored seven CRI fellows studying NK cells.

Dr. Oscar Aguilar’s work focuses on understanding how NK cells bind antibodies and how this influences their activity and ability to respond to threats.

The “Cancer Immunotherapy and You” webinar series is produced by the Cancer Research Institute and is hosted by our senior science writer, Arthur N. Brodsky, Ph.D. The 2021 series is made possible with generous support from Bristol Myers Squibb and Alkermes.

The “Cancer Immunotherapy and You” webinar series is produced by the Cancer Research Institute and is hosted by our senior science writer, Arthur N. Brodsky, Ph.D. The 2021 series is made possible with generous support from Bristol Myers Squibb and Alkermes.

Browse our Cancer Immunotherapy and You Webinar Series playlist on YouTube or visit the Webinars page on our website to see other webinars in this series. https://www.cancerresearch.org/en-us/...

Established in 1953, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing our immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all cancers. Our mission: Save more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all types of cancer. To accomplish this, we rely on donor support and collaborative partnerships to fund and carry out the most innovative clinical and laboratory research around the world, support the next generation of the field’s leaders, and serve as the trusted source of information on immunotherapy for cancer patients and their caregivers. https://www.cancerresearch.org

Cancer Research Institute is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 13-1837442. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.