Leading GMP cell therapy CDMO I Peace, Inc., specializing in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSC-derived cell therapies, announced that it has successfully generated human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from NKT cells and has begun offering them for research use. NKT cells are immune cells known to possess characteristics of both innate and adaptive immunity and to play important roles in cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions. The establishment of iPS cells derived from NKT cells is expected to significantly advance research in regenerative medicine and cancer therapy based on immune mechanisms.

In this development, I Peace successfully created proprietary technology that enables the selective and efficient expansion of NKT cells. Using this technology, the company established iPS cells and further generated clonal lines, thereby achieving highly uniform and reproducible NKT cell–derived human iPSCs. The established NKT cell–derived iPS cells have been confirmed to originate from NKT cells through genomic PCR analysis.

This technology enables research that leverages the unique immunological background of NKT cells and is expected to be applicable to a wide range of research and development fields, including cancer immunotherapy, infectious disease research, analysis of immunosenescence, and drug discovery screening.

In addition, I Peace provides contract manufacturing services for GMP-compliant iPS cells in accordance with global regulatory requirements. The NKT cell–derived human iPS cells described herein can also be generated and supplied under GMP conditions.

Going forward, I Peace will accelerate the development of next-generation immune cell and regenerative medicine platforms by expanding its lineup of immune cell–derived iPS cells and by supplying these products to research institutions and companies in Japan and overseas.