Harnessing natural killer cells engineering for cancer immunotherapy

The use of genetically modified immune cells for cancer therapy is one of the most significant achievements in biotechnology in recent years. Although currently approved cell therapies are dominated by CAR-T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, with their unique cancer killing properties and safety of use, set the stage for the development of more convenient allogeneic therapies. Herein, we reviewed the challenges and strategies in harnessing NK cells for cancer immunotherapy. Various sources for NK cell acquisition are discussed, and genetic engineering methods, including retroviral vectors, lentiviral vectors, adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, and non-viral transfection, are explored. NK cells have the potential to address limitations associated with CAR-T therapy, and the paper addresses the need for innovative solutions to overcome technical hurdles associated with NK cell immunotherapy.