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Updated: Sep 5, 2025

Measurement of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity and Migration in the Context of Hepatic Tumor Cells
Published on: February 22, 2020
What Inhibits Natural Killers' Performance in Tumour
Ines Papak1, Elżbieta Chruściel1, Katarzyna Dziubek1
1International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Ul. Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland.
Abstract:
Natural killer cells are innate lymphocytes with the ability to lyse tumour cells depending on the balance of their activating and inhibiting receptors. Growing numbers of clinical trials show promising results of NK cell-based immunotherapies. Unlike T cells, NK cells can lyse tumour cells independent of antigen presentation, based simply on their activation and inhibition receptors. Various strategies to improve NK cell-based therapies are being developed, all with one goal: to shift the balance to activation. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of ways NK cells can lyse tumour cells and all the inhibitory signals stopping their cytotoxic potential.
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