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Induction of Invasive Transitional Cell Bladder Carcinoma in Immune Intact Human MUC1 Transgenic Mice: A Model for Immunotherapy Development
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Natural killer cells: unlocking new treatments for bladder cancer

Daniel Ranti1, Christine Bieber1, Yuan-Shuo Wang1

  • 1Department of Oncological Sciences, Precision Immunology Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Urology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.

Trends in Cancer
|May 17, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Natural killer (NK) cells offer a promising target for bladder cancer immunotherapy. NK-targeted therapies, including anti-NKG2A antibodies, may improve treatment outcomes where current options fall short.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer has a long history of immunotherapy.
  • Checkpoint blocking antibodies (anti-PD-1/PD-L1) show limited response rates in bladder cancer.
  • Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for early anti-tumor responses and lack true antigen-specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential of natural killer (NK) cell-targeted immunotherapies for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
  • To explore novel therapeutic strategies beyond current checkpoint inhibitors.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical investigations involving NK-targeted immunotherapies.
  • Analysis of NK cell biology in the context of bladder cancer.

Main Results:

  • NK cells present an attractive target for combination immunotherapies due to their early response to tumorigenic threats.
  • Emerging NK-targeted therapies show promise in overcoming limitations of existing treatments.

Conclusions:

  • NK-targeted immunotherapies, including anti-NKG2A antibodies, interleukin agonists, and viral vectors, are poised to change the treatment landscape for bladder cancer.
  • Further research into NK cell-based strategies is warranted to improve patient outcomes.

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