Competence Center for Next-generation NK Cell-based Cancer Immunotherapy (NextGenNK)
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Karolinska Institutet - Institutionen för medicin, Huddinge |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 36 000 000 |
| Project duration | January 2020 - December 2024 |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Venture | Competence centre |
| Call | Kompetenscentrum 2020 |
Purpose and goal
Our overall vision is to transform tomorrow’s means of treating human cancer by development of novel, innovative, and readily affordable next-generation NK cell-based immunotherapies in collaboration with Swedish and international SMEs/industry and with the Swedish health care sector. Thereby, we also wish to contribute towards placing Sweden on the map, by means of being in the forefront in the development of novel cancer immunotherapies.
Expected effects and result
We predict that the presently outlined immunotherapies will have the potential to transform medical practice, with the promise to treat, manage, and potentially cure malignant diseases. The latter represent some of the most debilitating and, for society, costly diseases overall. As such, it is our hope that these ambitions will also add to the creation and development of a new segment in the Swedish Life Science industry.
Planned approach and implementation
We will assemble Sweden´s leading expertise in NK cell research and integrate select SME/industrial and health care partners’ respective assets, activities, and know-how. The Competence Center’s academic scientists will then, in collaboration with SME/industry, jointly develop next-generation NK cell-based immunotherapies including new products that will shorten the production time, increase target cell specificity, and eliminate unwanted side effects. The latter will then be tested and implemented in health care.