Gallardo-Zapata Janet, Maldonado-Bernal Carmen
Immunology and Proteomics Research Unit, Children's Hospital of Mexico Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico.
Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
Oncol Lett. 2021 Nov;22(5):748. doi: 10.3892/ol.2021.13009. Epub 2021 Aug 24.
Natural killer (NK) cells are specialized lymphocytes primarily involved in the response to infection and tumors. NK cells are characterized by the presence of specific surface molecules, as well as a wide repertoire of receptors that impart microenvironment-dependent effector functions. Among these receptors, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) can be activated to condition the NK response to either a cytotoxic or immunoregulatory phenotype. However, cellular function is frequently impaired during disorders such as cancer. In the last decade, it has become increasingly evident that the stimulation of NK cells is a requirement for their increased cytotoxic activity. TLR activation has been suggested as an alternative route for reestablishing the antitumor activity of NK cells. The present review summarizes the characteristics of NK cells, their receptors, the expression and function of NK cell TLRs, and their functional status in cancer, primarily acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
自然杀伤（NK）细胞是一类特殊的淋巴细胞，主要参与对感染和肿瘤的反应。NK细胞的特征是存在特定的表面分子，以及具有广泛的受体，这些受体赋予其依赖微环境的效应功能。在这些受体中，Toll样受体（TLR）可被激活，从而使NK细胞的反应转变为细胞毒性或免疫调节表型。然而，在癌症等疾病中，细胞功能常常受损。在过去十年中，越来越明显的是，刺激NK细胞是增强其细胞毒性活性的必要条件。TLR激活已被认为是恢复NK细胞抗肿瘤活性的一条替代途径。本综述总结了NK细胞的特征、其受体、NK细胞TLR的表达和功能，以及它们在癌症（主要是急性淋巴细胞白血病）中的功能状态。
