Natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapies and the many faces of NK cell memory: A look into how nanoparticles enhance NK cell activity.

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes able to exert potent antitumor and antiviral functions by different means. Besides their classification as innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), NK cells exhibit memory-like and memory responses after cytokine preactivation, viral infections and hapten exposure. Multiple NK cell-based immunotherapies have been developed and are currently being tested, including the possibility to translate the NK cell memory responses into the clinic. Nevertheless, still there is a need to improve these therapies, especially for the treatment of solid tumors, and nanotechnology represents an attractive option to increase NK cell effector functions against transformed cells. In this article, we review the basis of NK cell activity, the diversity of the NK cell memory responses and the current NK cell-based immunotherapies that are being used in the clinic. Furthermore, we take a look into nanotechnology-based strategies targeting NK cells to modulate their responses for effective immunotherapy.