The role of NK cells in cancer

Abstract

Although NK cells were initially discovered and named for their spontaneous ability to kill tumor cells, the knowledge of NK cells has grown to include not only their cytotoxic but also their immunoregulatory function, as well as characterization of many new activating and inhibitory receptors whose balance regulates their activity. In this sense, through recognition of cognate ligands on tumor cells by these receptors NK cells are able to distinguish transformed from normal cells. However, immunosuppressive factors produced by tumors affect NK cell receptor repertoire and lead to impaired NK cell function that facilitates tumor immune escape and disease progression. Better understanding of alterations in NK cell receptor expression, disturbance in NK cell activation, and effectors function in cancer patients may aid in defining novel biomarkers of disease as well as in creating many new immunotherapeutic strategies that potentiate NK cell antitumor activity. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.