NK is the abbreviation of Natural Killer, and its Chinese name is natural killer cell. Due to the pan-specific natural immune recognition and rapid killing mechanism of NK cells, it has become another sharp sword in anti-tumor treatment besides T cells.
Mechanism of action : (1) After adhering to target cells, NK cells release cytotoxic granules containing perforin and granzymes, leading to target cell lysis. (2) Fas ligand (FasL, CD95L) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) expressed by NK cells interact with Fas and TRAIL receptors of target cells, respectively, promoting the formation of death-inducing signaling complexes and inducing apoptosis. (3) NK cells can also secrete interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and TNF-α to enhance cytotoxicity.
Advancedness : (1) NK cell subsets are small, with short survival time in the body and low unpredictable risks. (2) NK cells have the feasibility of allogeneic treatment, which broadens the source of immune cell therapy and provides feasibility for combined tumor treatment. (3) NK cells and T cell therapy are complementary in terms of cell source, diseased cell recognition and killing mechanism, and are another type of anti-tumor immune cell with clinical application prospects after T cells
