French biotech Innate Pharma is recruiting natural-born killers to target B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The company's tetraspecific antibody controlled tumors and improved survival in mice and reduced cancerous B cells in cynomolgus macaques.

The results were published in Science Immunology on Nov. 15.

The antibody, called IPH6501, is now being evaluated in patients with relapsed or unresponsive B-NHL, according to a Nov. 15 release. The phase 1/2 trial is currently recruiting patients and is set to wrap up by the end of 2028.

Efforts to use antibodies to recruit immune cells to fight cancer and other diseases have been on the rise, but many molecules focus on engaging T cells. T-cell engagers, however, can cause serious toxicities, according to the release, while recent research suggests treatments based on natural killer cells may be safer.

Innate's antibody binds to three antigens on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells, which are related to T cells and B cells but don't need to be trained to go after certain targets -- hence the name "natural" killer. Binding to one of the antigens, a variant of interleukin-2, causes the NK cells to proliferate.

IPH6501 then also binds to CD20, a protein commonly found on the surface of cancerous B cells, bringing the target cell close to an NK cell and setting it up for destruction.

The antibody was created using Innate's Antibody-based NK cell Engager Therapeutics (ANKET) platform.

Other biotechs have been looking to use natural killers in cell therapy, with lackluster results. Caribou Biosciences dumped its preclinical CAR-NK research -- and cut 12% of its workforce -- in July to focus on its CAR-T platform.

And Artiva Biotherapeutics recently headed to the Nasdaq with a $167 million IPO to fund its NK cell therapy for lupus after Big Pharma partner Merck walked away from a collaboration on the treatment.