Authors: Margherita Boieri, Justyna Kmiecik, Maja Sandve, Zara Hannoun, Martha Eimstad Haugstøyl, Inês Cardoso, Sarah Vollmers, Anja Ruppelt Oldenburg, Luz Maria Mora-Velandia, Camilla Sletten, Giulia Malachin, Artur Cieslar-Pobuda, Liliane Christ, Pimthanya Wanichawan, Dennis Clement, Michelle Lu Saetersmoen, Frida Loe Haugen, Amanda Malene Ruud, Julia Mayumi Ino, Pranav Oberoi, Anders Holm, Emilie Gauthy, Namir Jafar Hassan, Sylvie Pollmann, and Luise Ullrike Weigand
Immunotherapy Advances, 16 December 2025
Using Axion’s Maestro TrayZ live-cell analyzer, researchers applied real-time impedance measurements to quantify immune cell–mediated cytotoxicity in an engineered TCR-NK cell therapy model.
Improving the effectiveness of immunotherapies against solid tumors remains a major challenge in cancer treatment. In this study, researchers developed a novel immuno-oncology construct by engineering natural killer (NK) cells to express a tumor antigen–specific T cell receptor (TCR) in combination with CD3 and CD8 co-receptors. This hybrid TCR-NK cell approach is designed to combine the antigen specificity of T cells with the innate cytotoxic capabilities of NK cells, with the goal of enhancing immune-mediated killing of solid tumors.
To functionally assess cytotoxic activity, the authors used Axion BioSystems’ Maestro TrayZ live-cell analysis platform to perform label-free, real-time impedance assays that quantified target cell killing following the addition of engineered immune cells. Impedance-based measurements showed that introduction of the TCR enhanced NK cell effector function and cytolytic activity without altering core NK phenotype, supporting the therapeutic potential of this engineered receptor complex. Together, these results demonstrate how high-throughput, kinetic impedance assays can provide quantitative insight into immune cell–mediated tumor killing during immunotherapy development.
