Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cell therapy in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers; a new arena

Abstract

Tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly complex, and immune escape is a crucial characteristic of malignancies that promotes tumor development and spread. According to studies, the limited success achieved by T cell immunotherapy highlights the growing importance of other advanced immunotherapies, specifically those based on natural killer (NK) cells. Human NK cells are the primary innate immune cells that combat malignancies and exhibit significant diversity within the TME of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. There is currently a growing interest in the advancement of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered NK cells for GI cancer immunotherapy. The advantages of CAR-NK cells over CAR-T cells include enhanced safety, with minimal or no occurrence of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Additionally, CAR-NK cells employ many methods to stimulate cytotoxic function and are very feasible for "off-the-shelf" manufacture. These effector cells can be genetically altered to specifically recognize different antigens, enhance their ability to multiply and survive in the body, increase their ability to enter GI cancers and overcome resistance in the tumor microenvironment. This ultimately leads to a desired anti-tumor response. Significantly, CAR-NK cells serve as antigen receptors for tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), effectively diverting NK cells and promoting tumor-related immunosurveillance. This study examines the advancements in the therapeutic capabilities of CAR-NK cells for treating GI cancers.