Prospects and limitations of NK cell adoptive therapy in clinical applications.

Abstract

During the last three decades, there has been substantial advancement in comprehending the chemical attributes and roles of natural killer (NK) cells, resulting in a growing interest in these cells. Simultaneously, the swift advancement of adoptive transfer therapy for immune cells, particularly the impressive achievements of autologous chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells in treating hematological malignant tumors, has fueled interest in using immune cells as a cancer treatment modality and opened the door for NK cell adoptive immunotherapy. NK cell-mediated immunotherapy has shown potential as a readily available, safe, and effective treatment for patients with leukemia. Moreover, clinical studies have demonstrated that NK cell adoptive immunotherapy shows efficacy in various solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, indicating a promising future for this therapeutic approach. This paper will provide an overview of NK cell adoptive therapy, focusing on current clinical trial results and the challenges associated with clinical applications.