Abstract

Natural killer cells (NK cells) are innate lymphocytes capable of detecting and killing transformed cells independently of prior antigen exposure, rendering them an increasingly attractive platform for cancer immunotherapy. Recent advances have expanded NK-cell–based strategies from cytokine stimulation and antibody-mediated activation to adoptive transfer of allogeneic NK cells and sophisticated genetic engineering approaches. Early-phase clinical trials demonstrate that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cells offer potent antitumor activity with favorable safety profiles, including minimal cytokine release syndrome and graft-versus-host disease. Current developments focus on enhancing NK-cell persistence, overcoming exhaustion, and improving resistance to the suppressive tumor microenvironment through precision gene editing, cytokine support, and next-generation NK-cell engagers. Collectively, these innovations position NK cells as a scalable, off-the-shelf immunotherapy platform with growing promise spanning both hematologic and solid tumors.

Keywords

natural killer cells, immunotherapy, oncolytic viruses, multiple clinical trial