CAR NK-92 cells targeting DLL3 kill effectively small cell lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by a high relapse rate, drug tolerance, and limited treatment choices. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified NK cells represent a promising immunotherapeutic modality for cancer treatment. However, their potential applications have not been explored in SCLC. Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) has been reported to be overexpressed in SCLC and may be a rational target for CAR NK immunotherapy. In this study, we developed DLL3-specific NK-92 cells and explored their potential in the treatment of SCLC. A coculture of DLL3+ SCLC cell lines with DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxicity and cytokine production. DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells induced tumor regression in an H446-derived pulmonary metastasis tumor model under a good safety threshold. The potent antitumor activities of DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells were observed in subcutaneous tumor models of SCLC. Moreover, obvious tumor-infiltrated DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells were detected in DLL3+ SCLC xenografts. These findings indicate that DLL3-CAR NK-92 cells might be a potential strategy for the treatment of SCLC.