A team at McGill University has developed a method to dramatically strengthen the body's natural killer cells, potentially opening a new path for treating some of the most difficult cancers to beat.
The approach works by blocking two specific proteins that normally hold back these immune cells. In laboratory tests, the enhanced NK cells killed human cancer cells from leukemia, glioblastoma, kidney cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer. Animal models showed significant slowing of tumor growth.
What makes this discovery stand out is how it achieves the enhancement. Rather than permanently rewriting a cell's genetic code the way many modern cancer therapies do, the team uses small-molecule drugs to temporarily boost NK cell activity. Because the changes can be reversed, researchers believe the approach carries fewer risks than permanent genetic modifications.
"This approach is particularly promising for patients who currently have very few options, when standard treatments have failed," said Michel L. Tremblay, the study's senior author and a distinguished professor in McGill's Department of Biochemistry.
The practical advantages extend beyond safety. Current cell-based cancer treatments typically require doctors to extract immune cells from each individual patient, customize them in the lab, and reinfuse them back. That process takes weeks, costs substantial money, and demands complex infrastructure.
The McGill team sourced their NK cells from donated umbilical cord blood, then isolated, cultured, and stored them. This means the same batch of cells could potentially treat multiple patients without customization, collapsing both the timeline and expense.
"These NK cells can be ready to use immediately," the researchers explained. "It avoids the complex process of customizing cells and uses readily available drugs to reversibly enhance NK cells' anti-tumor activities."
The team is now preparing to test the therapy in humans, with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer with few treatment options, as a likely first target. Those clinical trials are awaiting funding and regulatory approval.
The research appeared in EMBO Reports in April 2026, supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation, McGill University Health Centre Foundation, and several other organizations.
Author Jessica Williams: "This could genuinely move the needle for patients who've exhausted standard options, and the reversible approach is a smart hedge against unforeseen side effects."
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