REVIEW article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Cancer Cell Biology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1609479
NK Cell Activity in the Tumor Microenvironment
Provisionally accepted
- 1Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Moscow, Russia
- 2Onni Biotechnologies Ltd., Aalto University Campus, Espoo, Ostrobothnia, Finland
- 3Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Moscow, Russia
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The formation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) impairs natural killer (NK) cell infiltration and persistence within tumor tissue and significantly diminishes NK-mediated cytotoxicity. This presents a substantial barrier to the efficacy of NK cell therapy in solid tumors. Current strategies aim to overcome immune evasion by enhancing NK cell recognition and cytotoxicity, while promoting their persistence, infiltration, and resistance to the TME. This review focusses on the biophysical characteristics of TME and specific components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that affect NK cell activity, with the goal of identifying therapeutic approaches to modulate the TME and create a supportive niche for adaptive immune cell function. Advancements in interdisciplinary collaborations integrating oncology, cell biology, physics, engineering, materials science, and nanotechnology are crucial in advancing therapeutic strategies targeting ECM rigidity and mechanotransduction signaling pathways.
Keywords: HUMAN NATURAL KILLER CELLS, Tumor Microenvironment, Extracellular Matrix, New Targets, anti-NK cell signaling
Received: 10 Apr 2025; Accepted: 20 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kuznetsova, Glukhova, Beletsky and Ivanov. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Alexey Ivanov, Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Moscow, Russia
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