Natural killer (NK) cells efficiently recognize and kill tumor cells through several mechanisms including the expression of ligands for NK cell-activating receptors on target cells. Different clinical trials indicate that NK cell-based immunotherapy represents a promising antitumor treatment. However, tumors develop immune-evasion strategies, including downregulation of ligands for NK cell-activating receptors, that can negatively affect antitumor activity of NK cells, which either reside endogenously, or are adoptively transferred. Thus, restoration of the expression of NK cell-activating ligands on tumor cells represents a strategic therapeutic goal. As discussed here, various anticancer drugs can fulfill this task via different mechanisms. We envision that the combination of selected chemotherapeutic agents with NK cell adoptive transfer may represent a novel strategy for cancer immunotherapy.

天然杀伤（NK）细胞通过多种机制有效识别并杀死肿瘤细胞，包括在靶细胞上表达NK细胞激活受体的配体。不同的临床试验表明，基于NK细胞的免疫疗法代表了一种有前途的抗肿瘤治疗方法。然而，肿瘤发展出免疫逃避策略，包括下调NK细胞激活受体的配体，这可能会对内源性或过继转移的NK细胞的抗肿瘤活性产生负面影响。因此，恢复NK细胞活化配体在肿瘤细胞上的表达代表了战略治疗目标。如此处所讨论的，各种抗癌药物可以通过不同的机制来完成这一任务。