Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rationale for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapies

Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the family of innate immune cells with the capacity to recognize and kill tumor cells. Different phenotypes and functional properties of NK cells have been described in tumor patients, which could be shaped by the tumor microenvironment. The discovery of HLA class...

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Main Authors: Barbara Seliger, Ulrike Koehl
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.910595/full
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author Barbara Seliger
Barbara Seliger
Ulrike Koehl
Ulrike Koehl
Ulrike Koehl
author_facet Barbara Seliger
Barbara Seliger
Ulrike Koehl
Ulrike Koehl
Ulrike Koehl
author_sort Barbara Seliger
collection DOAJ
description Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the family of innate immune cells with the capacity to recognize and kill tumor cells. Different phenotypes and functional properties of NK cells have been described in tumor patients, which could be shaped by the tumor microenvironment. The discovery of HLA class I-specific inhibitory receptors controlling NK cell activity paved the way to the fundamental concept of modulating immune responses that are regulated by an array of inhibitory receptors, and emphasized the importance to explore the potential of NK cells in cancer therapy. Although a whole range of NK cell-based approaches are currently being developed, there are still major challenges that need to be overcome for improved efficacy of these therapies. These include escape of tumor cells from NK cell recognition due to their expression of inhibitory molecules, immune suppressive signals of NK cells, reduced NK cell infiltration of tumors, an immune suppressive micromilieu and limited in vivo persistence of NK cells. Therefore, this review provides an overview about the NK cell biology, alterations of NK cell activities, changes in tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment contributing to immune escape or immune surveillance by NK cells and their underlying molecular mechanisms as well as the current status and novel aspects of NK cell-based therapeutic strategies including their genetic engineering and their combination with conventional treatment options to overcome tumor-mediated evasion strategies and improve therapy efficacy.
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spelling doaj.art-358803bab1a244a983b6c9d7ff8dff5e2022-12-22T02:45:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242022-08-011310.3389/fimmu.2022.910595910595Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rationale for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapiesBarbara Seliger0Barbara Seliger1Ulrike Koehl2Ulrike Koehl3Ulrike Koehl4Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, GermanyInstitute of Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, GermanyInstitute of Cellular Therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyNatural killer (NK) cells belong to the family of innate immune cells with the capacity to recognize and kill tumor cells. Different phenotypes and functional properties of NK cells have been described in tumor patients, which could be shaped by the tumor microenvironment. The discovery of HLA class I-specific inhibitory receptors controlling NK cell activity paved the way to the fundamental concept of modulating immune responses that are regulated by an array of inhibitory receptors, and emphasized the importance to explore the potential of NK cells in cancer therapy. Although a whole range of NK cell-based approaches are currently being developed, there are still major challenges that need to be overcome for improved efficacy of these therapies. These include escape of tumor cells from NK cell recognition due to their expression of inhibitory molecules, immune suppressive signals of NK cells, reduced NK cell infiltration of tumors, an immune suppressive micromilieu and limited in vivo persistence of NK cells. Therefore, this review provides an overview about the NK cell biology, alterations of NK cell activities, changes in tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment contributing to immune escape or immune surveillance by NK cells and their underlying molecular mechanisms as well as the current status and novel aspects of NK cell-based therapeutic strategies including their genetic engineering and their combination with conventional treatment options to overcome tumor-mediated evasion strategies and improve therapy efficacy.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.910595/fullNK cellsimmune escapeimmunotherapytumorHLA
spellingShingle Barbara Seliger
Barbara Seliger
Ulrike Koehl
Ulrike Koehl
Ulrike Koehl
Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rationale for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapies
Frontiers in Immunology
NK cells
immune escape
immunotherapy
tumor
HLA
title Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rationale for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapies
title_full Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rationale for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapies
title_fullStr Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rationale for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapies
title_full_unstemmed Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rationale for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapies
title_short Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rationale for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapies
title_sort underlying mechanisms of evasion from nk cells as rationale for improvement of nk cell based immunotherapies
topic NK cells
immune escape
immunotherapy
tumor
HLA
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.910595/full
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