NK Cell Metabolism and Tumor Microenvironment

Natural Killer (NK) cells are characterized by their potential to kill tumor cells by different means without previous sensitization and have, therefore, become a valuable tool in cancer immunotherapy. However, their efficacy against solid tumors is still poor and further studies are required to imp...

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Published inFrontiers in immunology Vol. 10; p. 2278
Main Authors Terrén, Iñigo, Orrantia, Ane, Vitallé, Joana, Zenarruzabeitia, Olatz, Borrego, Francisco
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 24.09.2019
Subjects
amino acid
glucose
glycolysis
hypoxia
Immunology
metabolism
NK cell
hypoxia
glucose
amino acid
NK cell
glycolysis
metabolism
tumor microenvironment
TME
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Summary:Natural Killer (NK) cells are characterized by their potential to kill tumor cells by different means without previous sensitization and have, therefore, become a valuable tool in cancer immunotherapy. However, their efficacy against solid tumors is still poor and further studies are required to improve it. One of the major restrictions for NK cell activity is the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). There, tumor and other immune cells create the appropriate conditions for tumor proliferation while, among others, preventing NK cell activation. Furthermore, NK cell metabolism is impaired in the TME, presumably due to nutrient and oxygen deprivation, and the higher concentration of tumor-derived metabolic end products, such as lactate. This metabolic restriction of NK cells limits their effector functions, and it could represent a potential target to focus on to improve the efficacy of NK cell-based therapies against solid tumors. In this review, we discuss the potential effect of TME into NK cell metabolism and its influence in NK cell effector functions.
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Reviewed by: Ana Stojanovic, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Ulrike Koehl, Hannover Medical School, Germany
This article was submitted to NK and Innate Lymphoid Cell Biology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Immunology
Edited by: Julian Pardo, Fundacion Agencia Aragonesa para la Investigacion y el Desarrollo, Spain
ISSN:1664-3224
1664-3224
DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2019.02278