Technical Articles

Natural killer cells are currently at the forefront of many immunotherapy strategies, and new methods are being developed to fully harness the anti-tumor potential of NK cells. NK cells play a critical role in tumor immunity and are increasingly becoming a cutting-edge area in immunotherapy strategies.

The lack of functional tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment is a significant reason for the suboptimal efficacy of tumor immunotherapy. Even in tumor tissues rich in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, the presence of dysfunctional PD-1-positive Tim-3-positive CD8-positive T cells remains a major indicator of poor prognosis in cancer patients.

Macrophages are highly heterogeneous immune cells with significant ontogenic differences in their origins. During embryonic development, certain tissue-resident macrophages, such as Langerhans cells in the skin, microglia in the central nervous system, Kupffer cells in the liver, and alveolar macrophages, originate from yolk sac and fetal liver precursors. These cells maintain tissue homeostasis through self-renewal.

Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), as the sole member of type II interferons, exhibits complex dual functions in tumor immune regulation.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most malignant solid tumors, with an extremely poor prognosis and a poor response to various treatment modalities, including immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Interleukin-10 and its receptors play a complex dual role in the tumor immune microenvironment. Traditionally, IL-10 is known for its ability to suppress antigen-presenting cell activation and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

In the tumor microenvironment, CD8+ T cell exhaustion is closely associated with metabolic dysregulation, particularly lipid metabolism disorder.

BTN1A1 (Butyrophilin Subfamily 1 Member A1) belongs to the butyrophilin family and is an important type I transmembrane protein.