1. Natural killer cells and anti-tumor immunity
- Author
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Narelle Keating, Gabrielle T. Belz, and Sandra E. Nicholson
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Immunology ,chemical and pharmacologic phenomena ,Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins ,Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Immune system ,Immunity ,Neoplasms ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Molecular Biology ,Innate immune system ,Innate lymphoid cell ,Immunotherapy ,Cell Cycle Checkpoints ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Immunity, Innate ,Killer Cells, Natural ,030104 developmental biology ,Cytokine ,Interleukin 15 ,biology.protein ,Cancer research ,bacteria ,Antibody ,030215 immunology - Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer. The clinical success achieved with antibodies against the inhibitory T cell receptors PD-1 and CTLA4 has focused attention on the possibility of manipulating other immune cells, in particular those involved in innate immunity. Here we review the role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and their contribution to tumor immunity. As the prototypical ILC, the natural killer (NK) cell has an intrinsic ability to detect and kill cancer cells. NK cells are dependent on the cytokine interleukin (IL)-15 for their development and effector activity. We discuss the role of the Suppressor of cytokine (SOCS) proteins in negatively regulating IL-15 and NK cell responses and the potential for targeting these small intracellular regulators as new immune checkpoints.
- Published
- 2017