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Related Concept Videos

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

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Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells
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Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells

Published on: February 14, 2025

Natural killer cells and solid tumors.

Ana Stojanovic1, Adelheid Cerwenka

  • 1Innate Immunity, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.

Journal of Innate Immunity
|April 20, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for innate immunity against cancer, effectively targeting metastases. This review explores their role in solid tumors and potential for new cancer therapies.

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Analysis of Human T Cell Activity in an Allogeneic Co-Culture Setting of Pre-Treated Tumor Cells

Published on: March 7, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells are key players in the innate immune response, particularly against cancer metastases and small tumors.
  • Despite tumors often presenting as good targets for NK cells, their control of large solid tumors is generally inefficient.
  • The in vivo behavior of NK cells, their interaction with the tumor microenvironment, and mechanisms hindering their function in cancer patients remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on NK cells within the context of solid tumors.
  • To discuss the impact of new findings on NK cell responses against tumors.
  • To inform the design of novel NK cell-based cancer therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on NK cells and solid tumors.
  • Analysis of in vitro and in vivo studies concerning NK cell effector functions.
  • Synthesis of information regarding tumor microenvironment influences and immune evasion mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • NK cells exhibit direct cytotoxicity against tumor cells and release immune-modulating factors.
  • Tumor characteristics like ligand expression can make them susceptible to NK cell attack.
  • Factors within the tumor microenvironment and cancer patient immune systems can impair NK cell function.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding NK cell dynamics in solid tumors is critical for advancing cancer immunotherapy.
  • Novel insights into NK cell biology offer promising avenues for developing effective NK cell-based therapies.
  • Further research is needed to overcome NK cell inhibition in the tumor microenvironment for improved cancer treatment.