Harnessing Natural Killer Cells To Treat Metastatic Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive subtype of lung cancer, characterized by early metastatic spread. Though most patients initially respond to platinum-based chemotherapy, resistance rapidly develops. Recently, T cell based immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has rejuvenated first-line treatment of SCLC, however patients inevitably exhibit poor overall responses, highlighting the necessity for alternative therapeutic approaches. Natural killer (NK) cells are an innate cytotoxic immune cell type and emerging alternative to T cell-based immunotherapies.