INS8-1109
Polymeric Membrane Engager Engineering in Natural Killer Cell-mediated Adoptive Cell Therapy for Glioblastoma Treatment
Topic
S8. Frontiers of Functional Polymers in Biology and Medicine
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
16:55 - 17:10
Room 108
Session Chairs
Kisuk YANG
Minseok KWAK
Presenter(s)
Kyobum Kim (Dongguk University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Ex vivo non-genetic manipulation of natural killer (NK) cell surfaces presents a compelling strategy to augment contact-dependent target recognition and optimize receptor-ligand dynamics at the NK-tumor immunological synapse. Here, we report a versatile surface engineering platform utilizing lipid-based polymeric membrane engagers to directly immobilize bispecific targeting moieties onto NK cells via hydrophobic insertion. To facilitate specific targeting of CD44-overexpressing glioblastoma cells, hyaluronic acid (HA) was anchored to the NK cell surface. This platform was further tailored for disease-specific, bispecific tumor recognition through the additional incorporation of either glucosamine to target the GLUT1 receptor, or transferrin (Trf) for Trf receptor targeting. Following intravenous administration, NK cells engineered with these bispecific membrane engagers demonstrated facilitated transmigration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and enhanced glioblastoma tumor suppression. Notably, the most profound therapeutic efficacy was driven by the dual interactions between HA-CD44 and the Trf-Trf receptor. Ultimately, this modular NK membrane engineering strategy provides a promising, scalable solution for the manufacturing of next-generation adoptive cell therapy products.
