Natural killer cell cytotoxicity (against tumor cell) (NK cell cytotoxicity)

Natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity against tumor cells is a crucial effector process of the innate immune system, wherein NK cells recognize and selectively kill transformed (tumor) cells. This killing occurs primarily through two mechanisms: direct release of cytotoxic granules (containing perforin and granzymes) that induce apoptosis of target cells, and through engagement of death receptor pathways via ligands such as Fas ligand or TRAIL, resulting in programmed cell death of target cells[1][3][4]. NK cells play a central role in tumor immunosurveillance and are a key avenue in immunotherapy strategies, especially in cancer, though the term describes a process rather than a discrete therapeutic target[1][2][3][4][6].

Other names

NK cell-mediated cytotoxicityNK cell-mediated tumor lysisNK cell anti-tumor activity