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Naturally Killing the Silent Killer: NK Cell-Based Immunotherapy for Ovarian Cancer

Sarah Nersesian1,2, Haley Glazebrook1, Jay Toulany1,2

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Frontiers in Immunology
|August 29, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a deadly disease often diagnosed late. Natural killer (NK) cells show promise in overcoming OC treatment resistance by enhancing immune surveillance and control within the tumor microenvironment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Ovarian cancer (OC) has a high mortality rate, with many diagnoses occurring at advanced stages when treatment options are limited.
  • Current immunotherapies for OC face challenges due to tumor heterogeneity, lack of targetable antigens, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
  • Natural killer (NK) cells possess unique mechanisms for tumor cell killing and immune regulation, making them promising candidates for novel OC therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the potential of Natural Killer (NK) cells in overcoming treatment resistance in ovarian cancer (OC).
  • To highlight the interactions between NK cells and OC and their role in modulating the tumor microenvironment.
  • To discuss how NK cells can contribute to durable immune control of OC.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on NK cell biology and function in the context of ovarian cancer.
  • Analysis of NK cell interactions with tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment.
  • Discussion of NK cell-mediated mechanisms against OC immune escape and relapse.

Main Results:

  • NK cells can kill target cells and induce inflammation via antigen-independent pathways.
  • NK cells detect the loss of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) as an activation signal, crucial for targeting cancer cells.
  • NK cells are suppressed by the tumor microenvironment but can be reactivated by immune checkpoint blockade.

Conclusions:

  • NK cells offer a promising therapeutic avenue for ovarian cancer, potentially overcoming limitations of current immunotherapies.
  • Harnessing NK cell functions can reshape the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, leading to improved cancer control.
  • NK cells may play a critical role in achieving durable immune-mediated control of ovarian cancer.
Keywords:
high grade serous ovarian cancerimmunotherapynatural killer celloncoimmunologyovarian cancer immunologytumor microenvironment

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