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Mechanisms of NK cell dysfunction in the tumor microenvironment and current clinical approaches to harness NK cell potential for immunotherapy
Author(s) -
Devillier Raynier,
Chrétien AnneSophie,
Pagliardini Thomas,
Salem Nassim,
Blaise Didier,
Olive Daniel
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1002/jlb.5mr0920-198rr
Subject(s) - biology , immune system , immunotherapy , tumor microenvironment , cancer immunotherapy , cell , immunology , cancer research , cancer cell , innate immune system , cancer , genetics
NK cells are innate immune cells with inherent capabilities in both recognizing and killing cancer cells. NK cell phenotypes and functional alterations are being described with increasing precision among patients harboring various cancer types, emphasizing the critical role that NK cells play in antitumor immune responses. In addition, advances in understanding NK cell biology have improved our knowledge of such alterations, thereby expanding the potential exploitation of NK cells’ anticancer capabilities. In this review, we present an overview of (1) the various types of NK cell alterations that may contribute to immune evasion in cancer patients and (2) the various strategies to improve NK cell‐based anticancer immunotherapies, including pharmacologic modulation and/or genetic modification.