Chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer cell therapy: a new force in
intrinsic immunotherapy for cancer treatment
Abstract
Tumor treatment has entered a new phase because to cancer immunotherapy
in recent years. For a variety of human diseases, researchers have been
looking for ways to alter the immune system at different phases of
treatment. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) therapy is a quickly
developing cancer treatment that is a subset of adoptive cell treatments
(ACT). By injecting CAR molecules into immune cells, this method
genetically alters them, giving them new skills to identify cancer cells
and reroute malignant tumor cells through specific actions. As a result,
refractory cancers have shown significant responses. As the first line
of defense against infections and malignant cells, CAR Natural Killer
(NK) cells are a combination of CAR molecules and innate immune cells,
more especially NK cells, which are an essential part of the innate
immune system. The potential for using CAR-NK cells to treat a variety
of malignant tumors has been greatly increased by their ability to
target a wide range of tumor antigens via particular signaling pathways
on the surface of NK cells. The targeting accuracy and cytolytic
activity of NK cells against tumor cells have significantly increased
due to the integration of CAR molecules that target tumor-specific
antigens, increased immune cell activity, and the innate anti-tumor
capabilities of NK cells. Compared to CAR-T cells, CAR-engineered NK
cells have a wider choice of sources during production, may produce a
variety of inflammatory cytokines, facilitate cytotoxic effects, and
have less side effects after treatment. Many researchers are interested
in studying and exploring NK cells through various clinical studies
because of these benefits, which position them as a prospective platform
for CAR-based therapy. The possibilities and difficulties of using CAR
NK cells to treat cancer are clarified by this review.