Natural Killer Cells, the Terminator of Aggressive Tumors: Development, Function Source and Effective Therapeutics
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2023) | Viewed by 5255
Special Issue Editors
2. Division of Advanced Prosthodontics and Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
3. The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA School of Dentistry and Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Interests: natural killer cells; differentiation; cancer stem cells; cell death; NK therapeutics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: natural killer cells; oral cancer; pancreatic cancer; cancer immunotherapy; humanized-BLT mice; osteoclasts; cell expansion; T cells; osteonecrosis of jaw; probiotic bacteria; chemotherapy; bisphosphonates; monocytes; dendritic cells; clinical trials; NAC
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We have long known about the important roles of NK cells in cancer therapy; however, only recently have we started to appreciate the scope of the significance of these cells in tumor therapy. Identification of cancer stem cells or poorly differentiated tumors as prime targets of NK cells has finally shown the indispensable role of these cells in cancer therapy. In addition, successful cancer therapy will require restoration of both NK and T cell functions in cancer patients, since each are likely designed to target different subsets of tumor cells with opposing degrees of cellular differentiation with differing expression of MHC class I. NK cells mediate successful control of the tumor cells by their direct cytolytic effect and/or through antibody-mediated ADCC or indirectly through differentiation of tumor cells by IFN-g, which increases the efficacy of chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic targeting strategies (Fig. 1). Moreover, strategies should be designed to allow maintenance of good NK expansion and function in cancer patients, since not only are they capable of expanding cancer suppressing CD8+ T cells, but they are also key in limiting the expansion of immune suppressive cells such as TAMs, Tregs, MDSCs, MSCs, and fibroblasts. Mature allogeneic activated NK cells can be combined with other immunotherapeutic strategies such as oncolytic viruses, ADCC-inducing antibodies, check point inhibitors, CAR-T, CAR-NK, and chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic strategies for the ultimate goal of tumor eradication.
Dr. Anahid Jewett
Dr. Kawaljit Kaur
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- cancer stem cells/poorly differentiated tumors
- MHC class I
- activating NK receptors
- ADCC
- development
- NK function
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