# Mechanisms of tumor cell evasion from NK cell-mediated killing and advances in NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how tumor cells avoid being killed by NK cells and recent progress in using NK cells for cancer treatment.

## Contribution

The paper provides an updated overview of tumor evasion mechanisms and novel NK cell-based immunotherapies.

## Key findings

- Tumor cells evade NK cells through receptor-ligand modulation and immunosuppressive cytokines.
- Recent advances include adoptive NK transfer and CAR-engineered NK cells.
- Improving NK cell persistence and infiltration is key to enhancing cancer immunotherapy.

## Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells represent a critical component of the innate immune system, capable of exerting potent cytotoxic activity against infected and transformed cells. However, tumor cells evolve diverse strategies to evade NK cell-mediated surveillance, including modulation of receptor-ligand interactions, secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines, metabolic disruption, and induction of NK cell exhaustion. In this review, we summarise the mechanisms by which tumors escape NK cell control and highlight recent advances in NK cell-based immunotherapies, including adoptive NK transfer, immune checkpoint blockade, and CAR-engineered NK cells. Ongoing efforts to improve NK cell persistence, infiltration, and functional resilience hold promise for optimising clinical efficacy.