期刊
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
卷 12, 期 -, 页码 -出版社
FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.734551
关键词
natural killer cells (NK); cancer; tumour microenvironment (TME); NK exhaustion; NK cell receptors; T-box transcription factors; cytoskeletal dynamics; mechanotransduction
类别
资金
- National Research Foundation, Singapore [NRF-MP-2020-0004]
NK cells play a key role in shaping the immune response against cancer, but their functions are hindered by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. While checkpoint inhibition shows promise in early-stage studies, further exploration is needed in the context of the TME. Surface receptors and T-box transcription factors may play crucial roles in identifying and characterizing NK cell dysfunction.
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells which play a key role in shaping the immune response against cancer. Initially hailed for their potential to recognise and eliminate tumour cells, their application has been greatly hindered by the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) which suppresses NK functions (e.g., cytotoxicity). This dysfunctional state that is accompanied by phenotypic changes such as upregulation of inhibitory receptors and downregulation of activating receptors, forms the basis of what many researchers have referred to as 'exhausted' NK cells. However, there is no consensus on whether these phenotypes are sufficient to define an exhausted state of the NK cell. While recent advances in checkpoint inhibition appear to show promise in early-stage pre-clinical studies, much remains to be fully explored and understood in the context of the TME. The TME is where the NK cells are subjected to interaction with various cell types and soluble factors, which could exert an inhibitory effect on NK cytotoxicity. In this review, we provide an overview of the general markers of NK cell exhaustion viz, the surface activating and inhibitory receptors. We also highlight the potential role of T-box transcription factors in characterising such a dysfunctional state and discuss the often-overlooked mechanism of cell cytoskeletal dynamics in regulating NK cell function. These aspects may further contribute to NK exhaustion or NK revival in cancer and may open new avenues to explore cancer treatment strategies.
作者
我是这篇论文的作者
点击您的名字以认领此论文并将其添加到您的个人资料中。
推荐
暂无数据