ReviewMedical oncology (Northwood, London, England)2026
Natural killer cell-based therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A literature review.
Review in Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a significant global health threat characterized by aggressive progression and high mortality rates. Despite therapeutic advancements, survival for advanced stages is unacceptably low, necessitating innovative approaches like Natural Killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy. NK cells are crucial innate immune components providing rapid tumor cytotoxicity without prior sensitization. However, the HCC tumor microenvironment (TME) presents a formidable barrier, inducing NK cell dysfunction through immunosuppressive cytokines like TGF-[Formula: see text], chronic hypoxia, and metabolic exhaustion driven by lipid accumulation. This literature review consolidates and integrates findings regarding current NK cell-based strategies in HCC, with particular emphasis on mechanisms of NK cell dysfunction within the TME and therapeutic approaches designed to restore their antitumor activity. Emerging therapeutic strategies involve cytokine-supported approaches, including the adoptive transfer of autologous or allogeneic NK cells expanded ex vivo using stimuli such as IL-15 and IL-21. In parallel, advances in genetic engineering have enabled the development of modified NK cells, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK platforms targeting HCC-associated antigens such as glypican-3 (GPC3) and CD147 and bispecific and trispecific killer cell engagers (BiKEs and TriKEs). This review underscores the translational potential of NK cell-based therapies by highlighting unresolved knowledge gaps in the complex interplay between NK cells and the TME. These developments provide a foundation for optimizing NK cell immunotherapy and improving prognostic outcomes for patients with HCC.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.