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NK cells direct the perspective approaches to cancer immunotherapy

Abduladheem Turki Jalil1, Mohanad Ali Abdulhadi2, Farah A Al-Marzook3

  • 1Department of Medical Laboratories Techniques, Al-Mustaqbal University College, Hilla, Babylon, Iraq. abedalazeem799@gmail.com.

Medical Oncology (Northwood, London, England)
|June 15, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Natural killer (NK) cells show promise for cancer therapy but face challenges in solid tumors. Reprogramming tumor barriers could enhance NK cell-based immunotherapies, alone or combined with other treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Cellular Therapy

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells are key innate immune cells with cytotoxic functions against cancer.
  • Their therapeutic potential in solid tumors is limited by tumor infiltration issues and a suppressive microenvironment.
  • Barriers include cancer-associated stroma and tumor-supportive immune cells that hinder NK cell activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review strategies for overcoming barriers to NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy.
  • To explore the potential of reprogramming the tumor microenvironment for enhanced NK cell efficacy.
  • To discuss the development of novel NK-based immunotherapies and combination approaches.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on NK cell biology and cancer immunotherapy.
  • Analysis of mechanisms underlying NK cell suppression in solid tumors.
  • Examination of therapeutic strategies targeting tumor microenvironment and NK cell function.

Main Results:

  • NK cell antitumor activity is significantly impaired by factors within the tumor microenvironment.
  • Strategies to overcome these suppressive elements are crucial for effective NK cell therapy.
  • Reprogramming tumor barriers can enhance NK cell infiltration and cytotoxic function.

Conclusions:

  • Manipulating tumor barriers holds significant potential for improving NK cell-based cancer therapies.
  • NK cell immunotherapy can be developed as monotherapy or in combination with other treatments.
  • Novel NK-based immunotherapies may emerge from overcoming current therapeutic limitations.
Keywords:
Cancer immunotherapyChimeric antigen receptorOncolytic virusesTargeted therapyTumor microenvironment

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