Redmond John, O'Rilley Debbie, Buchanan Paul
School of Nursing and Human Science, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Discov Med. 2017 Jun;23(129):353-360.
Progression of cancer to advanced states is associated with treatment resistance and metastatic spread -- features that are linked to poor prognosis and patient mortality. Investigations into potential new treatments to reduce cancer spread are ongoing, with immunotherapy generating much interest. Natural killer (NK) cells are part of the body's innate immune system and are known for their ability to target and lyse cancer cells. Ion channels have previously been linked to the growth and development of tumors, but recent research suggests that these channels may also serve to alter immune cell functioning. This review examines the current understanding as to the role of ion channels in NK cells and how manipulation of these channels may increase NK effectiveness in targeting and removing cancer cells. With a large number of existing FDA-approved drugs targeting ion channels, potential exists for drug repurposing in order to improve immunotherapy and thus patient outcomes.
癌症进展到晚期与治疗耐药性和转移扩散相关，这些特征与预后不良和患者死亡率相关。针对减少癌症扩散的潜在新疗法的研究正在进行中，免疫疗法引起了广泛关注。自然杀伤（NK）细胞是人体先天免疫系统的一部分，以其靶向和裂解癌细胞的能力而闻名。离子通道此前已被证明与肿瘤的生长和发展有关，但最近的研究表明，这些通道也可能改变免疫细胞的功能。这篇综述探讨了目前对离子通道在NK细胞中的作用的理解，以及如何通过操纵这些通道来提高NK细胞靶向和清除癌细胞的有效性。由于现有大量FDA批准的靶向离子通道的药物，因此存在药物重新利用的潜力，以改善免疫疗法，从而改善患者的治疗效果。
