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Related Concept Videos

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

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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...
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Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

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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...
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Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

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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...
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Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

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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.
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iPSC-derived NK cell therapy induces durable responses in glioblastoma and overcomes resistance via a B7-H3-targeted tri-specific killer engager.

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Related Experiment Video

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Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells
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Exploring the NK cell platform for cancer immunotherapy.

Jacob A Myers1, Jeffrey S Miller2

  • 1Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Nature Reviews. Clinical Oncology
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Natural killer (NK) cell immunotherapy offers a promising approach for treating advanced cancers. Research focuses on optimizing NK cell sources and enhancing their cancer-killing abilities for improved patient outcomes.

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Cell Therapy

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial innate immune lymphocytes that eliminate virally infected and cancerous cells.
  • NK cell-mediated immunotherapy has shown significant promise in treating advanced-stage leukemia.
  • The field of NK cell-based cancer therapy is rapidly expanding, representing a key area of immunotherapy innovation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current strategies for optimizing therapeutic NK cell sources for adoptive transfer.
  • To explore methods for enhancing NK cell cytotoxicity and in vivo persistence.
  • To highlight the diverse applications of NK cell products and auxiliary therapeutics in targeting human cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical investigations into various NK cell sources (haploidentical, cord blood, stem cell-derived, cell lines, adaptive, memory-like, CAR-NK cells).
  • Analysis of therapeutic approaches to augment NK cell function, including cytokine-based agents, NK cell-engager molecules, and immune-checkpoint inhibitors.
  • Synthesis of current research on leveraging NK cell products and adjunct therapies for cancer treatment.

Main Results:

  • Multiple sources of therapeutic NK cells are under active clinical investigation.
  • Various methods are being explored to boost NK cell effectiveness and longevity.
  • Diverse NK cell-based strategies are being applied to combat human cancers.

Conclusions:

  • NK cell therapy is a dynamic and evolving field with significant potential in oncology.
  • Continued research into NK cell sources and enhancement methods is vital for advancing cancer treatment.
  • Future research should focus on novel avenues to maximize the therapeutic impact of NK cells against cancer.