NK cells are never alone: crosstalk and communication in tumour microenvironments

• Published in: Molecular cancer Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 34 - 24
• Main Authors: Zhou, Yongqiang, Cheng, Lu, Liu, Lu, Li, Xun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 16.02.2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adenosine; Antigens; Apoptosis; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Cell interactions; Communication; Crosstalk; Cytokines; Cytotoxicity; Humans; Hypoxia; Immunotherapy; Killer cells; Killer Cells, Natural; Ligands; Metastases; Microenvironments; Natural killer cells; Neoplasms - metabolism; NK cells; Proteins; Review; Stem cells; TME; Tumor Microenvironment; Tumors; NK cells; TME; Crosstalk; Cancer; Communication
• ISSN: 1476-4598; 1476-4598
• DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01737-7

Immune escape is a hallmark of cancer. The dynamic and heterogeneous tumour microenvironment (TME) causes insufficient infiltration and poor efficacy of natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy, which becomes a key factor triggering tumour progression. Understanding the crosstalk between NK cells and the TME provides new insights for optimising NK cell-based immunotherapy. Here, we present new advances in direct or indirect crosstalk between NK cells and 9 specialised TMEs, including immune, metabolic, innervated niche, mechanical, and microbial microenvironments, summarise TME-mediated mechanisms of NK cell function inhibition, and highlight potential targeted therapies for NK-TME crosstalk. Importantly, we discuss novel strategies to overcome the inhibitory TME and provide an attractive outlook for the future.