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Role of natural killer cells in lung cancer

  • Review – Cancer Research
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

One of the key immune cells involved in the pathogenesis of lung cancer is natural killer (NK) cells and these cells are novel targets for therapeutic applications in lung cancer. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on lung cancer pathogenesis with a focus on the interaction between NK cells and smoking, how these factors are related to the pathogenesis of lung cancer and how NK cell-based immunotherapy effect lung cancer survival.

Methods

The relevant literature from PubMed and Medline databases is reviewed in this article.

Results

The cytolytic potential of NK cells are reduced in lung cancer and increasing evidence suggests that improving NK cell functioning may induce tumor regression. Recent clinical trials on NK cell-based novel therapies such as cytokines including interleukin (IL)-15, IL-12 and IL-2, NK-92 cell lines and allogenic NK cell immunotherapy showed promising results with less adverse effects on the lung cancer survival.

Conclusions

The NK cell targeting strategy has not yet been approved for lung cancer treatment. More clinical studies focusing on the role of NK cells in lung cancer pathogenesis are warranted to develop novel NK cell-based therapeutic approaches for the treatment of lung cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Feinberg School of Medicine, Center for Community Health, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Ozge Nur Aktaş

  2. Department of Allergy and Immunology, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ayşe Bilge Öztürk

  3. Koç University, School of Medicine, Translational Medicine Research Center, Istanbul, Turkey

    Baran Erman

  4. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Suat Erus, Serhan Tanju & Şükrü Dilege

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  1. Ozge Nur Aktaş
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  2. Ayşe Bilge Öztürk
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  3. Baran Erman
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  4. Suat Erus
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Correspondence to Ayşe Bilge Öztürk.

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Aktaş, O.N., Öztürk, A.B., Erman, B. et al. Role of natural killer cells in lung cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 144, 997–1003 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-018-2635-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-018-2635-3

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