Huang Yuxiang, Liao Hengjian, Luo Jiefu, Wei Huaning, Li Anling, Lu Yujie, Xiang Bangde
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China.
Front Oncol. 2025 Jan 21;14:1502270. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1502270. eCollection 2024.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common lethal cancers worldwide. Natural killer cells (NK cells) play a key role in liver immunosurveillance, but in the tumor microenvironment, NK cells are readily depleted, as evidenced by down-regulation of activating receptors, reduced cytokine secretion, and attenuated killing function. The up-regulation of inhibitory receptors, such as PD-1, TIM-3, and LAG-3, further exacerbates the depletion of NK cells. Combined blockade strategies targeting these immunosuppressive mechanisms, such as the combination of PD-1 inhibitors with other inhibitory pathways (eg. TIM-3 and LAG-3), have shown potential to reverse NK cell exhaustion in preclinical studies. This article explores the promise of these innovative strategies in HCC immunotherapy, providing new therapeutic directions for optimizing NK cell function and improving drug sensitivity.
肝细胞癌(HCC)是全球最常见的致命癌症之一。自然杀伤细胞(NK细胞)在肝脏免疫监视中起关键作用,但在肿瘤微环境中,NK细胞很容易耗竭,这表现为激活受体下调、细胞因子分泌减少和杀伤功能减弱。抑制性受体如PD-1、TIM-3和LAG-3的上调进一步加剧了NK细胞的耗竭。针对这些免疫抑制机制的联合阻断策略,如将PD-1抑制剂与其他抑制途径(如TIM-3和LAG-3)联合使用,在临床前研究中已显示出逆转NK细胞耗竭的潜力。本文探讨了这些创新策略在HCC免疫治疗中的前景,为优化NK细胞功能和提高药物敏感性提供了新的治疗方向。