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Soluble NKG2D ligands: prevalence, release, and functional impact

Helmut Rainer Salih1, Stefan Holdenrieder, Alexander Steinle

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine II, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany. alexander.steinle@uni-tuebingen.de

Frontiers in Bioscience : a Journal and Virtual Library
|May 30, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Natural Killer (NK) cells fight tumors, but cancers release NKG2D ligands (NKG2DL) to evade them. This review explores soluble NKG2DL (sNKG2DL) in cancer and non-cancer conditions, and their clinical relevance.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Natural Killer (NK) cells are crucial for eliminating malignant cells.
  • Tumor-expressed NKG2D ligands (NKG2DL) promote NK cell anti-tumor responses.
  • Established tumors can subvert NK cell immunosurveillance by releasing NKG2DL.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and discuss the prevalence, release, and functional impact of soluble NKG2DL (sNKG2DL).
  • To explore the potential clinical value of sNKG2DL in cancer and non-malignant conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing data on sNKG2DL.
  • Analysis of studies reporting NKG2DL release in various human tumor entities.
  • Examination of findings on elevated sNKG2DL in non-malignant conditions.

Main Results:

  • NKG2DL release is observed across diverse human tumor types.
  • Elevated sNKG2DL levels are also found in non-malignant conditions.
  • The functional implications of sNKG2DL in non-malignant settings require further clarification.

Conclusions:

  • Soluble NKG2DL play a role in subverting NKG2D-mediated tumor immunity.
  • Understanding sNKG2DL is critical for developing novel cancer immunotherapies.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the full clinical significance of sNKG2DL.

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