Table 3 Immunotherapy strategy.
From: Multidimensional plasticity of natural killer cells in tumours
Strategies | Mechanisms | Key targets | Advantages | Challenges | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAR-NK cell | The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is genetically engineered to target tumour antigens | CD19 (Haematoma), BCMA (Multiple myeloma) | Low CRS risk, allogeneic use | Poor persistence in vivo, insufficient penetration of solid tumours | [86] |
Checkpoint blocking (e.g. TIGIT/PD-1) | Blocking inhibitory receptors and restoring NK cell activity | TIGIT, PD-1, TIM-3⁺ | Synergistic with T cell therapy | Off-target cytotoxicity, drug resistance | [15] |
Metabolic reprogramming (e.g. MCT1 inhibitors) | Reverse lactate-induced NK cell dysfunction | MCT1, LDHA, IDO | Improved metabolic fitness | Tumour metabolic heterogeneity | |
Cytokine engineering (e.g. IL-15/IL-21) | Enhanced proliferation and persistence of NK cells | IL-15 receptor, IL-21 receptor | Prolonging survival time in the body | Cytokine storm risk | [112] |
