Open AccessPharmacological targeting of natural killer cells for cancer immunotherapy
Author(s) -
Miyazato Kiho,
Hayakawa Yoshihiro
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.14418
Subject(s) - immunotherapy , cancer immunotherapy , biology , cancer , immunology , cancer cell , immune system , lymphokine activated killer cell , natural killer cell , cancer research , natural killer t cell , antigen , interleukin 21 , chimeric antigen receptor , nk 92 , cytotoxic t cell , t cell , biochemistry , genetics , in vitro
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that rapidly respond to cancer cells without prior sensitization or restriction to the cognate antigen in comparison with tumor antigen‐specific T cells. Recent advances in understanding NK‐cell biology have elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying the differentiation and maturation of NK cells, in addition to the control of their effector functions by investigating the receptors and ligands involved in the recognition of cancer cells by NK cells. Such clarification of NK‐cell recognition of cancer cells also revealed the mechanism by which cancer cells potentially evade NK–cell‐dependent immune surveillance. Furthermore, the recent clinical results of T–cell‐targeted cancer immunotherapy have increased the expectations for new immunotherapies by targeting NK cells. However, the potential use of NK cells in cancer immunotherapy is not fully understood. In this review, we discuss the current evidence and future potential of pharmacological targeting of NK cells in cancer immunotherapy.