These immune cells, known for their ability to destroy cancer, become even more effective for treating tumors under the influence of electric fields (TTF). This discovery may lead to new combined treatment methods for patients with certain types of brain tumors, including an aggressive form of brain cancer - glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is one of the most common and aggressive forms of brain cancer with extremely low survival rates. Standard treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are often insufficient, as cancer is prone to recurrence. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new approaches to treatment.

The new study, published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, was conducted by a team of scientists led by Professor Claire Gardiner from Trinity College and Professor George Malliaras from the University of Cambridge. They studied how TTF devices affect NK cells used in immunotherapy to treat certain cancers. Professor Gardiner noted that immunotherapy has already improved the treatment of many types of cancer, and combining different approaches can significantly improve the effectiveness of treatment.

The researchers found that exposure to TTF does not reduce the viability of NK cells and does not interfere with the production of cytokines, key molecules that are produced by NK cells. Moreover, exposure to TTF increased the degranulation of NK cells, which indicates an increased ability of these cells to destroy cancer cells.

The team plans to continue the research in order to study the interaction of TTF and NK cells in more depth. Professor Gardiner stressed that further studies can confirm the prospects of combined treatment using TTF and NK cells for patients with glioblastoma, opening up opportunities for a new dual treatment method.