Breaking barriers: CAR-NK cell therapy breakthroughs in female-related cancers - 17/05/25

Abstract |
Cancer stands as a leading cause of mortality globally. The main female-related malignancies are breast cancer, with 2.3 million new cases annually, and ovarian cancer, with 300,000 new cases per year worldwide. The current treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have presumably had deficiencies in sustaining long-term anti-tumor responses. Cellular immunotherapy, also referred to as adoptive cell therapy, has shown encouraging advances by employing genetically modified immune cells in fighting cancer by engineering chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) mainly on T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Studies in NK cell therapies involve unmodified NK cells and CAR-NK cell therapies, targeting cancer cells while limiting the destruction of normal cells. CAR-NK cells represent the next generation of therapeutic immune cells that have been shown to eliminate malignancies through CAR-dependent and CAR-independent mechanisms. They also represent possible candidates for "off-the-shelf" therapies due to their advantages, including the ability to target cancer cells independently of the major histocompatibility complex, reduced risk of alloreactivity, and fewer severe toxicities compared to CAR-T cells. To date, there have been no comprehensive review studies examining the therapeutic potential of CAR-NK cell therapy specifically for female-related malignancies, such as breast and ovarian cancers. This review offers a thorough exploration of CAR-NK cell therapy in relation to these cancers and their responses to treatment.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Graphical Abstract |
CAR-NK cell therapy targets breast and ovarian cancers. The important role of tumor microenvironment and chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cells in recognizing specific tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are illustrated. Different surface markers targeted in breast cancer (e.g., EGFR, PD-L1, CD44V6) and ovarian cancer (e.g., HER-2, CD133, HLA-G) are highlighted, emphasizing their potential for immunotherapeutic intervention.
CAR-NK cell therapy targets breast and ovarian cancers. The important role of tumor microenvironment and chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cells in recognizing specific tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are illustrated. Different surface markers targeted in breast cancer (e.g., EGFR, PD-L1, CD44V6) and ovarian cancer (e.g., HER-2, CD133, HLA-G) are highlighted, emphasizing their potential for immunotherapeutic intervention. Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.
Highlights |
• | CAR-NK cell therapy is a novel approach that utilizes genetically modified natural killer cells to target and eradicate cancer cells. |
• | CAR-NK cell therapy offers a safer, more practical alternative to CAR-T cell therapy, reducing severe side effects and avoiding immune rejection. |
• | The tumor microenvironment significantly hinders the efficacy of CAR-NK cell therapy by inhibiting the effectively attack to cancer cells. |
• | CAR-NK cells' design and engineering advancements have significantly enhanced their ability to recognize and kill cancer cells. |
• | CAR-NK therapy's full potential can be resulted when combined with other treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. |
Keywords : Breast cancer, Ovarian cancer, CAR-NK cells, Immunotherapy, NK cell
Plan
Vol 187
Article 118071- juin 2025 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
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