Tumor cell affected by chemotherapy and T-cell-like Killer Cell (TKC) adoptive cell transfer (TKC)

Tumor cell affected by chemotherapy and T-cell-like Killer Cell (TKC) adoptive cell transfer refers to a therapeutic context rather than a specific molecular target such as a receptor or enzyme. This state describes malignant cells that have been treated with chemotherapeutic agents to induce immunogenic cell death and upregulate stress ligands, followed by the administration of TKCs (Galluzzi et al., 2020). TKCs are ex vivo expanded lymphocytes, often possessing a CD3+ CD56+ phenotype, that provide potent, non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity against tumor cells (Sekine et al., 1993). The chemotherapy serves to sensitize the tumor microenvironment and the cells themselves, making them more susceptible to the effector functions of the infused TKCs (Zitvogel et al., 2011). In this combined approach, the target is effectively the sensitized tumor cell population, which expresses increased levels of ligands like MICA/B that are recognized by activating receptors on the TKCs. While this strategy is used in clinical research to improve outcomes in various cancers, the term itself describes a complex cellular and therapeutic scenario. Therefore, it does not represent a single, well-defined molecular entity suitable for standard drug-target classification. Interacting agents include standard chemotherapies like cisplatin and the biological product of expanded TKCs.

Other names

Chemosensitized tumor cellTKC-targeted malignant cellActivated lymphocyte-targeted tumor cell

Chemotherapy induces immunogenic cell death and stress ligand expression, while TKC adoptive cell transfer provides cytotoxic effectors that target these sensitized cells via MHC-independent mechanisms.