Abstract:
Natural killer (NK) cells, which are an exciting alternative cell source for cancer immunotherapies, must sense and respond to their physical environment to traffic to and eliminate cancer cells. Herein, we review the mechanisms by which NK cells receive mechanical signals and explore recent key findings regarding the impact of the physical characteristics of solid tumors on NK cell functions. Data suggest that different mechanical stresses present in solid tumors facilitate NK cell functions, especially infiltration and degranulation. Moreover, we review recent engineering advances that can be used to systemically study the role of mechanical forces on NK cell activity. Understanding the mechanisms by which NK cells interpret their environment presents potential targets to enhance NK cell immunotherapies for the treatment of solid tumors.
摘要:
自然杀伤(NK)细胞,这是癌症免疫疗法令人兴奋的替代细胞来源,必须感知并响应他们的物理环境,以交通和消除癌细胞。在这里,我们回顾了NK细胞接受机械信号的机制,并探讨了实体瘤的物理特性对NK细胞功能影响的最新发现.数据表明,实体瘤中存在的不同机械应力促进NK细胞功能,尤其是渗透和脱粒。此外,我们回顾了可用于系统研究机械力对NK细胞活性的作用的最新工程进展。了解NK细胞解释其环境的机制提出了增强NK细胞免疫治疗以治疗实体瘤的潜在靶标。