Natural Killer Cell Memory: Challenges and Opportunities for Cancer Immunotherapy

Overview

Journal Cancer Biol Ther

Specialties Oncology
Pharmacology

Date 2024 Jul 10

PMID 38987282

Authors

Yuhua Qu

Anhui Zeng

Yulu Cheng

Shengchun Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Substantial advancements have been made in recent years in comprehending immune memory, which enhances the secondary response through prior infections. The ability of vertebrate T and B lymphocytes to exhibit classic recall responses has long been regarded as a distinguishing characteristic. However, natural killer (NK) cells have been found to acquire immunological memory in a manner akin to T and B cells. The fundamental principles derived from the investigation of NK cell memory offer novel insights into innate immunity and have the potential to pave the way for innovative strategies to enhance therapeutic interventions against multiple diseases including cancer. Here, we reviewed the fundamental characteristics, memory development and regulatory mechanism of NK cell memory. Moreover, we will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the accomplishments, obstacles, and future direction pertaining to the utilization of NK cell memory in the field of cancer immunotherapy.

References

Maskalenko N, Zhigarev D, Campbell K . Harnessing natural killer cells for cancer immunotherapy: dispatching the first responders. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2022; 21(8):559-577. PMC: 10019065. DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00413-7. View

Mah-Som A, Keppel M, Tobin J, Kolicheski A, Saucier N, Sexl V . Reliance on Cox10 and oxidative metabolism for antigen-specific NK cell expansion. Cell Rep. 2021; 35(9):109209. PMC: 8229496. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109209. View

Gang M, Marin N, Wong P, Neal C, Marsala L, Foster M . CAR-modified memory-like NK cells exhibit potent responses to NK-resistant lymphomas. Blood. 2020; 136(20):2308-2318. PMC: 7702478. DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020006619. View

Netea M, Joosten L, Latz E, Mills K, Natoli G, Stunnenberg H . Trained immunity: A program of innate immune memory in health and disease. Science. 2016; 352(6284):aaf1098. PMC: 5087274. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf1098. View

Maddineni S, Silberstein J, Sunwoo J . Emerging NK cell therapies for cancer and the promise of next generation engineering of iPSC-derived NK cells. J Immunother Cancer. 2022; 10(5). PMC: 9115029. DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004693. View

Berrien-Elliott M, Cashen A, Cubitt C, Neal C, Wong P, Wagner J . Multidimensional Analyses of Donor Memory-Like NK Cells Reveal New Associations with Response after Adoptive Immunotherapy for Leukemia. Cancer Discov. 2020; 10(12):1854-1871. PMC: 7710923. DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-0312. View

Cerwenka A, Lanier L . Natural killer cell memory in infection, inflammation and cancer. Nat Rev Immunol. 2016; 16(2):112-23. DOI: 10.1038/nri.2015.9. View

Brillantes M, Beaulieu A . Memory and Memory-Like NK Cell Responses to Microbial Pathogens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020; 10:102. PMC: 7109401. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00102. View

Chen Z, Li H, Li Z, Chen S, Huang X, Zheng Z . SHH/GLI2-TGF-β1 feedback loop between cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages maintains epithelial-mesenchymal transition and endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis in cholangiocarcinoma. Pharmacol Res. 2022; 187:106564. DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106564. View

10.

Zhuang L, Fulton R, Rettman P, Sayan A, Coad J, Al-Shamkhani A . Activity of IL-12/15/18 primed natural killer cells against hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Int. 2018; 13(1):75-83. PMC: 6513806. DOI: 10.1007/s12072-018-9909-3. View

11.

Myers J, Miller J . Exploring the NK cell platform for cancer immunotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2020; 18(2):85-100. PMC: 8316981. DOI: 10.1038/s41571-020-0426-7. View

12.

Huang M, Liu Y, Yan Q, Peng M, Ge J, Mo Y . NK cells as powerful therapeutic tool in cancer immunotherapy. Cell Oncol (Dordr). 2024; 47(3):733-757. DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00909-3. View

13.

Elhanani O, Ben-Uri R, Keren L . Spatial profiling technologies illuminate the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Cell. 2023; 41(3):404-420. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.01.010. View

14.

Sheppard S, Santosa E, Lau C, Violante S, Giovanelli P, Kim H . Lactate dehydrogenase A-dependent aerobic glycolysis promotes natural killer cell anti-viral and anti-tumor function. Cell Rep. 2021; 35(9):109210. PMC: 8221253. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109210. View

15.

Shemesh A, Pickering H, Roybal K, Lanier L . Differential IL-12 signaling induces human natural killer cell activating receptor-mediated ligand-specific expansion. J Exp Med. 2022; 219(8). PMC: 9240274. DOI: 10.1084/jem.20212434. View

16.

Chu J, Gao F, Yan M, Zhao S, Yan Z, Shi B . Natural killer cells: a promising immunotherapy for cancer. J Transl Med. 2022; 20(1):240. PMC: 9125849. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03437-0. View

17.

Ty M, Sun S, Callaway P, Rek J, Press K, van der Ploeg K . Malaria-driven expansion of adaptive-like functional CD56-negative NK cells correlates with clinical immunity to malaria. Sci Transl Med. 2023; 15(680):eadd9012. PMC: 9976268. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.add9012. View

18.

De Pelsmaeker S, Denaeghel S, Hermans L, Favoreel H . Identification of a Porcine Liver EomesT-bet NK Cell Subset That Resembles Human Liver Resident NK Cells. Front Immunol. 2019; 10:2561. PMC: 6836759. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02561. View

19.

Cooper M, Elliott J, Keyel P, Yang L, Carrero J, Yokoyama W . Cytokine-induced memory-like natural killer cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009; 106(6):1915-9. PMC: 2644138. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0813192106. View

20.

Marin N, Krasnick B, Becker-Hapak M, Conant L, Goedegebuure S, Berrien-Elliott M . Memory-like Differentiation Enhances NK Cell Responses to Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2021; 27(17):4859-4869. PMC: 8416927. DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-0851. View