A Multimodal Framework to Guide Solid Tumor Indications for Natural Killer Cell-Based Therapy

Immunotherapy has changed the way doctors approach many cancers. Instead of attacking cancer directly with treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy helps the body’s own immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells. However, these treatments do not work equally well against every type of cancer. A recent review article by Chiossone and colleagues explores another possible way of using the immune system to fight solid tumors. The researchers focused on immune cells known as natural killer cells (or NK cells) and tried to determine which types of cancer might be the best candidates for future NK-cell treatments. Their findings point to several cancers that are worth further investigation, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. 

What Are Natural Killer Cells? 

Natural killer cells are a normal part of our immune system. As their name suggests, one of their jobs is to identify and destroy cells that appear abnormal. Cancer cells can be difficult for the immune system to recognize - some develop ways of hiding from certain immune defenses. NK cells are particularly interesting to cancer researchers because they can recognize and kill abnormal cells in ways that differ from another important group of immune cells called T cells. That difference could potentially make NK cells useful in cancers where other immune-based approaches face difficulties. Researchers are studying whether NK cells can be turned into cancer treatments. These approaches may involve giving patients NK cells with the goal of strengthening the immune system’s ability to attack their tumors. 

Looking for the Cancers Most Likely to Benefit 

Instead of asking whether NK cells might work against cancer in general, the researchers behind this study asked a more practical question – which solid tumors appear to be the best candidates for future NK-cell therapy research? To answer that question, the investigators combined several different types of information. They looked at evidence showing whether NK cells were present inside different tumors. They also systematically reviewed clinical trials involving NK-cell treatments for solid cancers. Finally, they studied genetic activity in over 10,000 tumor samples to better understand NK cells and the environments surrounding them. The clinical trial portion included 177 trials, and results varied considerably. No individual type of solid cancer or treatment approach emerged as clearly better than all the others. In other words, NK-cell therapy is not yet a proven solution for solid tumors generally. But when the researchers brought the different types of evidence together, several cancers stood out as especially interesting possibilities for future research. 

What Did the Study Say About Lung Cancer & Mesothelioma? 

Lung cancer was one of the important findings. The researchers specifically identified lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma as promising candidates for future clinical studies of NK-cell-based treatments. These are two major forms of non-small cell lung cancer. Their appearance among the study’s promising candidates does not mean that researchers have proven that NK-cell therapy successfully treats these cancers. Instead, the study provides evidence suggesting that these cancers have characteristics that make further investigation worthwhile. This research is essentially helping scientists to decide where to focus future clinical trials. This study also contains an interesting finding for those following mesothelioma treatment developments. Mesothelioma was also identified as a promising cancer for future clinical evaluation of NK-cell therapies when researchers evaluated factors such as the presence and condition of NK cells and characteristics of the tumor environment. Once again, the study does not show that NK-cell therapy has been proven effective for mesothelioma patients. It identifies mesothelioma as a promising candidate for future clinical research. Laboratory and large-scale tumor analyses can help researchers determine which treatments appear promising, but clinical trials are ultimately needed to establish whether a treatment is safe and effective for patients. 

A Roadmap for Future Cancer Research 

One of the most useful aspects of Chiossone’s work is that it provides researchers with a framework for deciding where future NK-cell studies could be most valuable. Their analysis highlighted kidney renal cell carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, cervical and endocervical cancers, and mesothelioma as promising candidates for future clinical evaluation. For lung cancer and mesothelioma in particular, the findings add to an expanding area of research exploring how the immune system might be used to fight difficult solid tumors. NK-cell therapy still has significant questions to answer, and this study should not be interpreted as evidence of a new proven treatment for either disease. Instead, it offers something preliminary but still valuable: a scientific roadmap pointing researchers toward cancers that may be especially worthwhile to study next. 

Learn About Your Legal Options After a Mesothelioma Diagnosis 

A mesothelioma diagnosis can raise questions that extend beyond medical treatment. When asbestos exposure may have contributed to the disease, patients and their families may also have legal options. 

Brayton Purcell LLP represents plaintiffs in mesothelioma and asbestos-related disease cases. Our attorneys can investigate potential sources of exposure, explain the legal process, and help determine whether a claim may be available. 

Contact Brayton Purcell LLP for a confidential case evaluation. There is no obligation to pursue a claim, and you pay no attorney fees unless we obtain a recovery for you.