Skip to main content

REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1442673
This article is part of the Research Topic Mastering the Dynamics of Tumor Plasticity: Epigenetic Regulation, Cell Fate, and Microenvironment Interactions View all 3 articles

Natural Killer Cells, A Future Star for Immunotherapy of Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma

Provisionally accepted
Shuyan Dong Shuyan Dong 1*Ming Zhao Ming Zhao 2Jin Zhu Jin Zhu 3*Ting Li Ting Li 1Mingze Yan Mingze Yan 1*Kaixun Xing Kaixun Xing 1*Peng Liu Peng Liu 4*Shan Yu Shan Yu 5*Jian Ma Jian Ma 6*Hongjiang He Hongjiang He 1*
  • 1 Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
  • 2 Affiliated Hospital and Clinical Medical College of Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 3 Xi’an Daxing Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
  • 4 Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
  • 5 The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
  • 6 Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The interplay between immune components and the epithelium plays a crucial role in the development and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Natural killer (NK) cells, one of the main tumor-killing immune cell populations, have received increasing attention in HNSCC immunotherapy. In this review, we explore the mechanism underlying the interplay between NK cells and HNSCC. A series of immune evasion strategies utilized by cancer cells restrict HNSCC infiltration of NK cells. Overcoming these limitations can fully exploit the antineoplastic potential of NK cells. We also investigated the tumor-killing efficacy of NK cellbased immunotherapies, immunotherapeutic strategies, and new results from clinical trials. Notably, cetuximab, the most essential component of NK cell-based immunotherapy, inhibits the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway and activates the immune system in conjunction with NK cells, inducing innate effector functions and improving patient prognosis. In addition, we compiled information on other areas for the improvement of patient prognosis using anti-EGFR receptor-based monoclonal antibody drugs and the underlying mechanisms and prognoses of new immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of HNSCC.

    Keywords: NK cell, interleukin, HNSCC, Immunotherapy, cetuximab

    Received: 02 Jun 2024; Accepted: 15 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Dong, Zhao, Zhu, Li, Yan, Xing, Liu, Yu, Ma and He. 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:
    Shuyan Dong, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Jin Zhu, Xi’an Daxing Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
    Mingze Yan, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Kaixun Xing, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Peng Liu, Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Shan Yu, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
    Jian Ma, Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 130012, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Hongjiang He, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.