Updated overall survival data and predictive biomarkers of autologous NK cells plus Sintilimab as second line treatment for advanced non small cell lung cancer summary

This PACUPod episode reviews updated overall survival data and predictive biomarkers from a 2025 Frontiers in Immunology study of autologous NK cells plus Sintilimab as second-line therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer without actionable driver mutations after platinum chemotherapy. The study reports median OS of 27.3 months (95% CI 0.76 to 53.8 months), with 6/20 patients alive at data cutoff, and biomarker correlations including CD56+PD-L1+ phenotype, ctDNA clearance, and increased PD-L1+ NK cells post-treatment. The strongest prognostic signal is the CD56+PD-L1+ phenotype; ctDNA clearance plus PD-L1+ NK cell rise associated with better survival (HR 0.07, P=0.002). Safety did not increase with extended therapy. Limitations include a small single-arm design (n=20) without a control group. These findings support personalized treatment approaches and highlight the need for larger randomized trials to validate biomarkers and efficacy.