title: NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy: from basic biology to clinical application.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells, which recognize and kill target cells independent of antigen specificity and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) matching, play pivotal roles in immune defence against tumors. However, tumor cells often acquire the ability to escape NK cell-mediated immune surveillance. Thus, understanding mechanisms underlying regulation of NK cell phenotype and function within the tumor environment is instrumental for designing new approaches to improve the current cell-based immunotherapy. In this review, we elaborate the main biological features and molecular mechanisms of NK cells that pertain to regulation of NK cell-mediated anti-tumor activity. We further overview current clinical approaches regarding NK cell-based cancer therapy, including cytokine infusion, adoptive transfer of autologous or allogeneic NK cells, applications of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing NK cells and adoptive transfer of memory-like NK cells. With these promising clinical outcomes and fuller understanding the basic questions raised in this review, we foresee that NK cell-based approaches may hold great potential for future cancer immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Laboratory of Epigenetics in Development and Tumorigenesis, Tianjin Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Laboratory of Epigenetics in Development and Tumorigenesis, Tianjin Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Laboratory of Epigenetics in Development and Tumorigenesis, Tianjin Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Laboratory of Epigenetics in Development and Tumorigenesis, Tianjin Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Laboratory of Epigenetics in Development and Tumorigenesis, Tianjin Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Division of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. Jianmei_Leavenworth@dfci.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: JianMei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leavenworth
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Laboratory of Epigenetics in Development and Tumorigenesis, Tianjin Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China. wangxi@tmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000276:immunology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000379:methods*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
keywords: NK cell; adoptive transfer; cancer; cytokine infusion; immunotherapy